


Journey Through the Maelstrom

by Anonymous



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, Bisexual Male Character, Blood and Gore, Boys In Love, Childhood Trauma, Complete, Depression, Drama & Romance, Electroconvulsive Therapy, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Gay, Gay Sex, Grief/Mourning, Lesbian Character, Long, Long-Distance Relationship, Love, M/M, Multi, Murder, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Trauma, Religious Guilt, Self-Harm, Sexual Abuse, Shame, Threesome - M/M/M, Torture, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 09:28:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 43
Words: 138,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25967401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: A Naruto/Sasuke love and coming out story which takes place adjacent to cannon. Sasuke has a secret that he's unwilling to divulge for fear of the incredible shame and torturous practices Konoha has set in place for those that refuse to contribute to society by the God's standards. He strives to become a powerful avenger of his clan and finds himself living a life of dark turmoil as he struggles to combat his depression, anxiety and repressed feelings for his best friend.
Relationships: Gaara/Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto, Gaara/Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura/Rock Lee, Hoozuki Suigetsu/Uchiha Sasuke, Shizune/Tsunade (Naruto), Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 43
Kudos: 45
Collections: Fics Naruto/Sasuke, Naruto Fanfictions, Romance Fanfics





	1. The Academy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MaelstromUchiha](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaelstromUchiha/gifts).



> I have tried to keep the characters true to canon as much as possible, but as with any independent writing, some biases and opinions of character will always be present. Many of the plot points do follow cannon almost directly from the manga and in some places, the anime so I won't blame you for skimming over some of it. Criticisms and feedback are always welcome but please be cordial. Fair warning - this story was written in 6 weeks. 

The warm August sun shined brightly onto brightly green and shifting leaves. The wind brushing against the branches produced a gentle chorus that could be heard through the village of Konoha. Water trickled through the streams which intermingled with the village’s beautiful architecture. Children laughed as they played carelessly through the safely guarded residential streets. Konoha was a powerhouse for intensely strong shinobi making it one of the most respected villages on the continent. The beauty of The Leaf was envied by many. The villages were young in their development yet Konoha had been able to prosper nearly instantaneously. Others such as The Sand and Sound Villages had not been so lucky economically due to lack of resources and powerful blood lines to defend their walls. On the outside, Konoha was a model nation. On the inside, it harbored horrific secrets which had been the keys to their prosperous growth. For each gain taken, a terrible price had been paid by Konoha’s loneliest children.

Living alone as a child was difficult enough. Eating alone, sitting alone, and doing pretty much everything else alone and having to go to registration for class alone was yet another level of alone that Naruto Uzumaki did not want to face that day. He sat in his incredibly messy and unkempt room on his unmade bed, stomach first with his face in his pillow. His sad, bright blue eyes were half open and peeking over the top of his pillow as he thought of what he would never have. The idea of parents crept back into his mind and he felt his heart begin to drop again. He just wanted to be loved but love was not a feeling he was terribly familiar with. No one told him they loved him like he would hear other parents would tell their children. He clung to the idea that his parents had loved him according to what his sensei had told him. He just wished that he had someone to love him who was still alive. His isolation from society had caused him to be an abrasively rash child. He would also act out in various ways to attract attention of any sort. Most of it was negative but at seven years of age, he was starving for any kind of acknowledgement. Many of his classmates had begun to despise him from his various antics on top of the true reason he was considered a societal outcast. They saw him as a monster or rather just a thing which acted as a container for it. He was not a human in their eyes.

A Jinchūriki was a vessel in which a terrible demon slept dormant. It slept within the seal on his belly which had been given to him by the Fourth Hokage to protect the Village from sure destruction. He was feared by all and yet his drive to prove them wrong surged like a whirlwind from his soul. What they could not see from the outside was the size of Naruto’s heart. Such a forgiving and open heart as his did not blame them, rather, he blamed himself for not being better. He chose to see the good in people and it was infectious at times. Some, including Iruka-sensei at The Academy, had clearly seen this in him. Iruka kept an eye on Naruto and helped him when he could. However, he was nothing like the father that Naruto needed.

The tiny blonde boy squirmed in his bed as he mentally argued with himself about going to The Academy for registration day. If he were to show up to register for classes, wouldn’t it be a problem? Parents never liked him, he realized. Even the times when he was younger and had innocently made friends, the parents of those children always made sure it did not last long. His mind flopped back and forth from thinking he had better things to do than sign up for classes that would cause more problems for everyone and wanting to prove himself so badly that he would do whatever it took to become a ninja. He thought about trying to contact the mean lady that had been assigned to Naruto as a caretaker to keep tabs on him by the Third Hokage so that he could have someone to walk with. It was her job and he was familiar with how the process worked.

In his short life, Naruto had gone through a number of caretakers meant to ensure that he stayed alive and nothing more. Some had quit because of the challenge of working with Naruto who proved to be hyperactive, unreasonable, and difficult. Others had left because they were afraid once they realized _which_ child needed the care. 

Naruto had told himself he didn’t care about them either. Each new person had become a challenge for him to see how quickly he could push them to leave. They were only there by a direct order from the Hokage to ensure that the Jinchūriki did not manage to find a way to escape Naruto’s small body, and to make sure that he was safe and fed. He had made it into a game to help make up for the pain that shot through his heart every time he found himself rejected again. Even his pre-ninja academy sensei did not speak with him or encourage him the way she did with other students during his preliminary ninja courses. He had grown jaded toward the system that Konoha had in place. He already knew that he could do better than anyone else. He had way better ideas about how to care for people.

 _I could be Hokage… I’m way more awesome than any of those losers who will be in class,_ he thought to himself while trying to ignore the negative emotions. He was so tired of crying that he had decided to not cry anymore if he could help it. Shinobi don't cry anyway and he would be the greatest shinobi ever.

Naruto growled to himself and sat up with his arms and legs crossed. In a final huff, he stood up quickly only to nearly slip on the old homework that was scattered on his floor. He hopped to the side and cursed under his breath for not cleaning again. He dressed himself in his smelly clothes, deciding to wear his shirt inside out since the outside had a stain on it and no one could _really_ tell or at least he thought.

“Let’s do this!!” He shouted at the top of his lungs in order to bring himself up. This was a strategy he regularly used to provide himself with encouragement. It had been a fairly effective coping mechanism for the lack of outside encouragement. 

“Keep it down kid!” Naruto heard a muffled and anguished yell from the apartment next to him.

Naruto stuck his tongue out at the wall and promptly left, slamming the door on his way out to push his neighbors buttons a little more. It was fun for him to push people to their limit. Not to mention, someone had acknowledged his existence.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

A small, raven haired child waited quietly and impatiently for his caretaker to arrive. Today would be his last visit from his assigned, Anbu guard who had been responsible for ensuring that he was taken care of for the past year. Despite only being eight, he had consistently insisted that he was capable of caring for himself. He had made sure that everything was always clean. His clothes were always folded. He always had fresh food in his refrigerator even if he didn’t eat it. He seemed healthy enough mentally to look after himself and socialize with other students. All these precautions were for the check boxes the caretakers marked each time they visited. Sasuke Uchiha had paid close attention to what they were looking for. The sooner they didn’t have to check in on him the better. He didn’t need their help and never would. He had one goal and would efficiently accomplish it.

It had been one year since his clan was brutally slaughtered, leaving him the last remaining member of the Uchiha clan. To him, it was like it had happened only yesterday and simultaneously an eternity ago. It had changed him in ways that he never thought possible and shown him feelings he desperately wished he could forget. The efforts of the adults around him did not go unnoticed. However, it did not push away the heavy reality that he walked through each day. The memory of happiness would haunt him nightly before the occasional escape of dreamless sleep was gifted to him. His nightmares of his older brother standing over his parents’ lifeless corpses kept him awake more nights than not. He had grown to hate his brother more than he wished to live. His sole purpose for still being alive would be to kill his own brother and avenge his clan. He had begun obsessively searching for ways to become stronger in any way possible. He would need to be better than Itachi who had outperformed him his entire life. He shuddered, thinking about his brother. The sooner he could kill him, the better. Once he was dead, maybe sleeping at night would get easier.

The caretaker knocked briskly against Sasuke’s door, startling him. He kicked himself mentally for jumping at such a childish thing and regained his composure before opening the door for Yua, a fake name for a fake person. He had never seen her face, only the cat-like stone expression painted on her mask. Sasuke tolerated Yua enough, but she was seemingly very nosy. She was always asking him about his feelings and trying to get him to talk in a sort of robotic and scripted manner. Sasuke had no interest in exchanging words. She was only asking those questions since she was trained to, after all. This would only be a mission for her. Such a high-ranked Anbu officer was the only fitting match to ensure the last Uchiha survived. She was also one of the few who dared enter the Uchiha compound after the slaughter. Yua greeted Sasuke and went on her usual, monotone spiel about how he needed to eat healthy, make sure he is playing with other children, and to pay attention to his mental well-being. 

“Have you been eating properly?” Yua read off her clipboard in a forced higher tone to sound more empathetic. It always sounded so _fake_. She did not take her eyes off the clipboard as she walked to the fridge to check what he had stock.

“I’m eating fine. As always.” He said plainly.

“Good!” She said while inspecting the rest of his tiny, government assigned, apartment. “It looks like you’ve got it under control as usual, Sasuke.”

He just stared at her and briefly considered asking her to go to The Academy with him. He would be going alone after all. He hesitated another moment too long.

“Well, Sasuke, it has been a pleasure as usual. This will be the last time I visit. You will be within the responsibility of The Academy now and I will no longer bother you with such check-ups.”

“I never needed them in the first place.” He folded his arms and looked away to avoid letting her know he was feeling any kind of way about her leaving.

“Hm…” She thought about his response in a moment of individualism that had yet to be crushed by her training before deciding to conclude her mission and ignore any personal feelings as had been meticulously pounded into her mind. “Bye, Sasuke. I’m sure I will see you again once you finish your academy training.”

Sasuke turned to face Yua and possibly ask his question if he had the chance, but in the split second she had already gone without a sound. He briefly thought about how Yua knew that he was going to The Academy today and did not offer to accompany him. He tried to soothe his pain by telling himself that she would have said no anyway. He dropped his head and stared at the floor. He wanted to cry again but forced the emotion back down. He needed to be strong. It was time to go and face the world alone again.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Shikamaru Nara was sound asleep when he suddenly awoke to ear-piercing shrieks of the demon from his sleep… wait… that was Mother.

“SHIKAMARU, LET’S GO!” Yoshino’s booming voice shot straight through his brain and out of the back of his head leaving his heart beating fast and his eyes wide. Shikamaru left out an exasperated sigh to try to alleviate the sudden onset anxiety.

“Quickly!” she stated firmly with a bounce in her step as she left the room to finish getting ready. No breaks or slacking off today.

“Coming.” He managed to croak to avoid another onslaught of audible daggers. _What an absolute pain._

Shikamaru dragged himself out of bed after a few more seconds of loud mental protest. He had made a promise.

_Shikamaru, there’s something you don’t realize about yourself yet. You have an incredible gift. You need to use it, okay? Hold on to it tightly because it is what will save them in the end. Promise me that you will protect your comrades above all else. No matter who they are to you, Shika. You’re going to be responsible for them because of this gift._

Shikamaru recalled his father’s words perfectly. His memory forbade him from forgetting his promises so now he had to follow through or it would haunt him for years… or maybe even the rest of his life. He really had no choice in the matter. Such a drag.


	2. An Instant Rivalry

Naruto walked with his back hunched. He stared intently at the ground, as usual, to avoid the gazes of the surrounding village. He quickened his pace, hoping to be there a bit earlier than most to get it over with. He turned the corner and saw The Academy and his face fell upon seeing there was a long line nearly wrapping around the building. He gulped and put on his bravest face before approaching the line with parents and their children. The whispers grew louder as he got closer and his sweat started to form glistening beads on his forehead.

" _Isn’t that the monster?”_

_"What’s it doing here?"_

_"Who would have thought they would let it in The Academy?”_

_"I know the teachers here will protect our children from it, but still, I don’t know if I want my child going to school with a monster.”_

The words began to swim in his mind. He flinched ever so slightly each time he overheard something, as if the pain he felt was nearly physical. Naruto tried to ignore them this time, but the racing thoughts caused him to panic. The thought of eternal loneliness began to set in his small mind.

What if he _wasn’t_ good enough to be in The Academy?

What if Iruka was wrong and this was all just a mean ploy to get him to be socially scrutinized again?

It was too much for a young boy to process at once. The adrenaline pumping through his tiny veins told him to fight or run. This time, he chose to run blindly, directly into another student. Exasperated gasps by the surrounding villagers could be heard as he fell back hard onto the surrounding compacted dirt.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sasuke walked at a slow and steady pace toward The Academy. He did not completely understand the point of going to registration. He had essentially been guaranteed a spot in The Academy almost regardless of how he performed by the Third Hokage. His perfect scores from his pre-ninja academy school made it set in stone. The idea of having to show up to something as tedious as registration seemed below him. He hated seeing the other children excited to see him as if he was someone to be envied when he was desperately wishing he was in their shoes. He had always walked in the shadow of his brother and now suddenly he was in the spotlight. Everyone catered to him constantly. He always noticed when someone was speaking to him carefully as if his psyche were this terrible and fragile thing that was to be tip toed over. Even at eight years old, he found it incredibly irritating. His face was scrunched into a scowl as the negative thoughts perpetuated his mind.

The worst part about it was all the damn girls. Sasuke had never even thought about girls in that way, although, he figured out they wanted everything to do with him early on. He would receive various gifts from his admirers on a regular basis which, of course, boosted his ego, but the gifts were not what really mattered to him. The unwanted romantic attention had also grown tired in his eyes. Once the first girl had taken the chance to flirt with the cutest boy, several more had taken the chance which initiated his fan club. He noticed his male class mates would glare at him with jealousy. What he couldn't tell them was that the mere thought of having a girlfriend repulsed him and the girls were theirs to take. He did not have time for such things, anyway. Just as the thought finished rolling through his mind, he notichis ed a group of his admirers waiting for him near the entrance of The Academy. He froze in instantaneous apprehension. 

“SASUKE!!” Ino Yamanaka, one of the prettiest girls in his class, ran to approach him with a few of her friends to fawn over him as they often did. Sasuke’s eye twitched as he remembered the pre-academy days having to deal with awkward flirting, poorly written love letters, and gifts that he would never use.

Ino noticed Sasuke’s irritated expression and recognized it from when she had overstepped his bounds in the past. In her inexperienced mind, she would need to try extra hard to cheer him up. He was everything she wanted in a partner, and she was determined to make him see that she was what he wanted too. Being children, her idea of being his girlfriend just meant sitting together at lunch and maybe, if she dared, holding hands. The idea was all incredibly exciting for her. Her perspective was limited to her comfortable life. She would never have the slightest idea of the pain he carried or what it would mean to share a life with someone like him.

“We are so glad to see you here, Sasuke!” Ino charmed in her best, cutsie voice, thinking that it was what every boy wanted to hear. “And umm.. well.. w-we think that you’ve become more.. umm.. handsome.” Her face was blushing and the girls around her squealed as if Ino had just revealed a terrible secret about them.

Sasuke stared at her and blinked. He was not sure what to say since he was not glad to see her and he had never been that great at socialization.

“Hmph.” He moved to walk past the girls. “You should take this more seriously.” He grumbled.

Just as he was about to walk away, one of the girls, Yuuki, grabbed his hand. Sasuke had not been touched in quite some time so the shock of another human being grabbing him was incredibly startling. He jerked his hand away hard, ripping it out of the girl’s hand and knocking her back in the process. Her eyes began to well and she began to apologize. Sasuke backed up a step while trying to process what he had just done. He had never pushed a girl before even though it had been an accident. The other girls were looking at him as if they expected him to say something. He tried several times to find the words to say, but nothing came. Out of desperation to get out of the situation, he decided to run. It was the most logical course of action in his young mind.

“Sasuke! Wait! Rrggg!” Ino protested. That had not gone how she had hoped at all. She was debating on going after him or caring for her friend and ultimately decided that her friend was the unfortunate priority. She was irritated that Yuuki would go and do something like that but did not show it outwardly as she comforted her.

Sasuke ran with his head down to avoid making eye contact with any other girls. _That was a nightmare._ He was running fast in case they had given chase to him. He came to an abrupt halt, following with stars, brief daydreams, and the ground. Once he came to again, he felt a pulsing pain in his face. He could feel his nose bleeding and put his hand to his nose to try to stop it before slowly lifting himself up with his other arm. Once his surroundings came back into focus, he could see he was not the only one bleeding and on the ground. A tiny, blond boy in bright orange clothing lay on the ground before him, struggling to get up again.

“OUCH ouch ouch ouch!” the boy exclaimed while holding his face. 

“Why don’t you watch where you’re going!” Sasuke demanded, knowing full well that he had also not been watching where he was going, and was looking desperately to blame such a stupid mistake on someone else.

“Hey, asshole, why don’t YOU watch where YOU’RE going!” Naruto growled with a fiery spark that matched Sasuke's tone and then some.

It surprised him. The boy’s bright blonde hair and whiskers coupled with the way that everyone was looking at him made him wonder. _Is this the Jinchūriki? He sure doesn't look like a monster._

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Shikamaru Nara lazily ate his breakfast, still half asleep. His mother’s words were forcing his mind to wake as she ran back and forth through the house getting ready for the day. No one could relax listening to that. His father, Shikaku Nara, sat across from him with the same dreary expression.

“I don’t know how you deal with it, Dad.” Shikamaru remarked as a means to distract his mind from the pain this day had already become.

“It’s not as straightforward as it seems, Shika.”

Shikamaru could tell his father essentially dismissed him with the answer to avoid having to explain himself.

“Someday, you will understand without me having to explain it in words to you.” Shikaku looked down at his son to study his face and see if he was taking his words seriously.

Shikamaru was vaguely perplexed at this notion. He knew that there was too much information in the world to learn, but most things were easily understandable. In most cases, his parents would just teach him and he would retain it with ease. He couldn't quite yet wrap his head around something that would be labeled as something he couldn't learn, but only experience. Shikamaru was not quite aware of this yet. His knowledge did outweigh his experience 100-fold. With a thorough understanding of how his son’s mind worked, his father did not even bother to suggest an extraordinarily complex and unreasonable emotion such as _love_.

“Alright, my brilliant, talented, and handsome men, let’s get a move on before we end up late!” Yoshino stated with her clear and confident voice. She was so proud of them both, but always had to make sure they were doing what they were supposed to. They wouldn’t be nearly as successful without her anyway.

Shikamaru got up and got his things together to go with his mother to registration. His father cleaned himself up after breakfast and turned to Shikamaru before he set off to complete his duties for the day.

“You remember what you promised me.” He said in a wary tone to Shikamaru. Shikaku worried about his son, not because he thought he would fail, but because he knew that having a brilliant mind could be torturous.

Shikamaru would go through many of the same trials that he had gone through despite his efforts. Shikaku wanted to do his best to save him from that. The least he could do was prepare his son for his trials the best that he could. 

“Yeah, Dad I know. I just don’t understand why you’re being so weird about it.” Shikamaru rarely ever heard his father talk so seriously unless it was for something really important, but this seemed so trivial.

“I hope that you are able to see why in due time, but your friends and comrades mean more than you realize. Protect them.” With that, Shikaku nodded at Shikamaru and made his way to the front door. Yoshino kissed her husband goodbye much to the disgust of Shikamaru. Shikaku parted from Yoshino and Shikamaru and headed to the Hokage’s tower, leaving his family to go register at The Academy.

Once they arrived, they stepped in line and waited for the doors to open. Yoshino had always ensured that the Nara family was on-time regardless of their protests so they had arrived about 15 minutes early. Suddenly, Shikamaru heard fast footsteps followed by a _SMACK._ Chaos seemed to instantly ensue from behind him. His curiosity ruled him in that moment as he turned to see the commotion behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music this chapter - Gasoline by Halsey


	3. Monster or Friend?

The crowd began to gather between the two boys as Sasuke laid bleeding on the ground. This horrified his fan girls, although some were disturbingly delighted to see their crush injured. Several adults were trying to attend to Sasuke as Naruto sat alone on the ground in the dirt. He turned red with immense jealousy and anger as he stared at the raven-haired boy.

“Sasuke, did he hurt you?” An adult nearby that Sasuke barely recognized tried to help him up by his arm.

He pulled his arm away and brought himself to his feet.

_Why do people keep touching me today!?_

Before he could let out a word, three other adults crowded him trying to attend to his wound. He was given a handkerchief for his bloody nose which he begrudgingly accepted. It was better than bleeding all over the place and having to scrub more of it off his clothing when he got home.

Ino finally finished handling the friend crisis and headed to the academy to meet with her parents. Upon seeing the scene before her, she ran directly to her crush who, in her mind, was in imminent danger. 

“Sasuke are you alright!? What did that _thing_ do to you?!”

Sasuke immediately backed up, but was followed by Ino and her gaggle. He glimpsed at the blonde boy who was still sitting on the ground. He could tell from the faces of the people turning to the blonde kid that they were blaming him. He turned to look at the boy’s face and he could see his pain in his eyes. His eyes showed a special kind of pain full of deep and unusual wounds. It was like his own loneliness staring back at him, only worse. Sasuke’s heart instantly dropped. _This is what they had meant when people said beware of the Jinchūriki?_

He had always pictured an actual monster when people talked about 'it', but this was a boy… and he wasn’t scary looking at all. He couldn’t help but stare for a moment longer at him. He had sun kissed skin and bright blue eyes, each an ocean of its own. His hair was messy and held out of his face with a pair of goofy goggles. He found himself thinking about how adorable he thought the boy was. Such a taboo thing was immediately shoved out of his mind, followed by multiple inner curses aimed at himself. He could not understand why he would think such a thing about another boy. 

“How could you hurt someone like that? You need to start acting like a person and not some monster!”

One of the older kids began to berate Naruto even though he had not seen the incident.

Naruto ignored the kid and stared at Sasuke with tightly furrowed brows. He felt furiously jealous of the attention Sasuke was getting from not only all the adults, but all the cute girls too. 

_Why is he so different? What makes him so special?_

Naruto began to get up, determined to leave the situation, when suddenly he was pushed again to the ground.

“HAH! That’s what you get, monster.” The mean kid yelled at Naruto.

The bystanders in line just watched in shock. Naruto gritted his teeth and was about to talk back at the kid before he heard another comment nearby.

_"What is he doing here anyway? Shouldn’t he not be allowed anywhere near The Academy?"_

He hung his head as his will to fight rapidly diminished. His thoughts were swirling around in his mind _Monster… you’re a monster… why are you here? Everyone thinks you’re a monster. MONSTER._

The older antagonistic boy who had been demeaning Naruto up to this point decided to take it a step further and picked up a stone. His father had taught him how to treat the Jinchūriki as the monster it was and to defend his family from it at all costs.

Shikamaru stared at the situation horrified. He had seen everything from the beginning and the entire line of people were looking at Naruto. He knew Naruto from his pre-academy courses. He wasn’t smart, frequently got in trouble, and was frankly obnoxious, but in all his time there, he had never intentionally hurt someone. If anything, he had defended other little kids who were also being picked on. He moved quickly in Naruto’s direction to do anything to make the situation stop. 

The boy threw the stone at Naruto, but it connected with Shikamaru’s right shoulder as he ran in the way. He stood in from of Naruto, arms spread and out of breath from his brief sprint. It hurt, but Shikamaru could not imagine what it must be like to be in the blonde's shoes. He had the ability to be extremely empathetic, but frequently practiced his genius level apathy instead. This case was different though. No one knew what this boy was going through and no one had his back from what he could see. Shikamaru winced at the pain, but stood his ground, arms still spread wide. He looked behind him to see if Naruto was alright, but he had already taken off running toward the swing hanging from the big tree beside The Academy.

“Shikamaru!!” Yoshino yelled, following closely behind her son. “What happened!? Are you alright!? What in the world has gotten into you?!”

“MOM. I’m fine.”

Shikamaru didn’t even know what had gotten into him. His father had told him to protect his comrades… and if Naruto was a part of the Hidden Leaf, was he not also his comrade? Yoshino was about to protest more when an even louder voice than her own pierced the chatter and caused immediate silence.

“WHAT’S GOING ON HERE!?” Iruka screamed at the top of his lungs as he exited the Academy. 

He had witnessed a teary-eyed Naruto running away from the building through the window and raced his way to the front. He immediately noticed Sasuke with a bloody handkerchief and approached.

“What happened?” Iruka asked firmly in Sasuke’s direction, thinking that the two had gotten in a fight.

“It.. was just an accident.” Sasuke replied softly, sounding somewhat nasally. Iruka studied him suspiciously which caught Shikamaru’s sharp eye.

“It’s true” Shikamaru said plainly. “It was an accident.”

He turned pointed his finger directly to the troublemaker boy who had thrown the rock. The boy stepped back, scared now that he had been singled out.

“Tell Iruka what you did.” Shikamaru spoke coldly.

He did not snitch on anyone usually. He did not know what had gotten into him. 

“Shikamaru!” Yoshino exclaimed, shocked once again that her son had the audacity and capability to be so blunt.

Before he could say anything, the boy’s father decided to speak on his behalf.

“My son is innocent!” Said the burly man standing beside his snot-nosed brat. “He was defendin’ himself from that fucking monster!”

Iruka took one look at the reaction of the surrounding crowd and understood how big of a lie it was. Even if the general public wanted nothing to do with Naruto, they all still generally thought of themselves as honest. Iruka turned to the woman who had been just behind all the commotion in line. 

“Is that true, ma’am?”

The woman hung her head and quietly shook her head no.

“Would you agree with what that man said, sir?” Iruka asked an older man who had been in front of the two boys with his own daughter. 

“No. It was an accident as far as I could tell.” 

The man spoke with worry and age in his voice.

Iruka turned toward the father of the hell spawn that seemed to have started the mess. He huffing and puffing at each statement as if he expected the behavior to be tolerated and accepted. All eyes were now on the man.

“We don’t tolerate this level of immaturity at this school.” Iruka ’s words were as cold as his face was stern. Everyone’s leers continued for just long enough at the disruptive boy and his father.

“W-Well we don’t tolerate sissy schools like this neither. This is a ninja academy! Why you want to act like pussies is beyond me!” The man grabbed his son by the arm and drug him away. “Com’on Johan, let’s go. You’re not going to any dumbass school like this one.”

Iruka breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing their departure and then turned to Sasuke.

“Let’s get you cleaned up. Follow me.” Iruka said, expecting nothing less than compliance.

He turned to look for Naruto and saw him sitting alone, but seemingly physically okay for now. He would have to come back out and find him once he dealt with the bleeding Uchiha boy. Being a teacher sometimes meant you had to choose which crisis to deal with first.

“And you, come with me too.” Iruka gestured at Shikamaru who looked initially stunned, then disconcerted about being requested to accompany his brand-new teacher after getting into his first confrontation with a bully.

As they were led into the building, Sasuke looked back to see the blonde headed boy sitting by himself, huddled in a ball near by the giant tree. He wanted to do something about it. He was not even sure if the Jinchūriki could be helped even if he wanted to. He thought about it for several moments before realizing that he was distracting himself from his true long-term goal. The only reason he was at The Academy would be to get strong enough to kill Itachi.

“I’m going to befriend him.” Shikamaru had made up his mind about the matter. “He deserves more. Why didn’t you speak up?” He honestly wanted to know why the Uchiha had not said anything to the antagonizing boy. Sasuke didn’t have an answer for him so he just looked away angrily.

“You should befriend him too to make up for it. He’s our comrade after all.” Shikamaru said passively.

“Don’t push it.” Sasuke spoke defensively.

He could not figure out a reason for his earlier silence. Why _did_ he freeze back there anyway?

“Hm.”

Shikamaru smirked. Iruka breathed a sigh of relief as he eavesdropped on their conversation. Naruto was finally going to be accepted by one of his peers… maybe even two.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Naruto sat by the tree with his head in between his legs with constant tears rolling down his face. He cried hard for a solid 10 minutes before taking a breath, wiping his nose on his shirt, and began to think about what to do. He was so tired of crying, but somehow, _they_ still managed to make him do it whether he wanted to or not. No matter what, he couldn’t let them see because that meant he looked weak. After several minutes and after calming himself down, he decided to just wait for Iruka. His sensei always knew what to do and maybe he would even get some food out of it. He hopped onto the swing and got lost in his thoughts again, gently rocking himself back and forth until he hunched over and even dosed off for a bit. The day had already been far too long and exhausting for his young brain. 

“Naruto….. Naruto….. NARUTO!” 

Iruka ended up having to scream to get him to wake him. He was a notoriously deep sleeper.

“Heh!?.. huh.. oh.. hey Sensei” Naruto sleepily adjusted himself. “Ouch.” He raised his hand to his head and felt the dried blood caked on his forehead. Beneath it would have a scar for sure.

“Don’t touch it.” Iruka said calmly.

He had come prepared with first aid and began to dress Naruto’s wounds carefully.

“So… what happened back there?” 

Naruto’s eyes turned back toward the ground and began to get misty against his will nearly instantaneously. Iruka panicked. 

“Uh.. H-Hey, don’t worry about it! How about we get you ready for class next week and we will celebrate with you-know-what?”

Iruka had spent a fortune at Ichiraku, but it was the one thing that always perked Naruto up a bit. Naruto did not perk up as he usually did. Instead, he just stared for a moment at Iruka with his big, blue, heartbreaking eyes.

“Sensei, if I go to class, they are just going to be mean to me again.” Naruto said softly.

He did want to go to class, but it seemed impossible after today.

“...And what if there’s someone else there like that boy?” Naruto protested.

“Naruto, I know this hasn’t been easy for you and I know that you have dealt with a lot, but I think you may have made a friend today.” Iruka smirked, hoping that Shikamaru would give him a real chance.

Naruto’s face instantly lit up upon remembering that Shikamaru had saved him from the rock.

“You really think… that Shikamaru would be my friend and then maybe one day he would work with me to become Hokage?” Naruto asked, hopeful.

Iruka smiled and laughed.

“You’ve already got me as a friend. It’s time you made another.” Iruka said calmly as he finished wrapping the gauze around Naruto’s head.

Naruto thought about what Shikamaru had done and the more he thought about it, the more an elated feeling swelled in his chest.

“Now, let’s go get you ready for class so we can get you some ramen, yeah?” Iruka said cheerfully noticing that Naruto’s mood had already improved.

“YES!” Naruto jumped out of the swing. He had always been very food motivated and not to mention, he did have someone who had cared about him today and that was worth celebrating.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The evening had approached to conclude the long and arduous day. The August heat still lingered in Konoha’s dusty air even as the sun set behind the distant mountains. Naruto did not want to go home yet even after eating his own weight in noodles. He decided to explore and had stopped completely in front of the Uchiha Clan’s designated living section which was separate from the rest of Konoha. It had been blocked off by tape for months. Naruto had previously been disinclined to go explore such a daunting looking place and today would have been no different until he saw another kid far ahead on the path inside the gates.

_What’s he doing in there?_

Naruto’s intense curiosity was far too much to be ignored. He entered beneath the yellow tape to go figure out what the other kid was up to. It wasn’t like he had anything else to take up his time. The kid turned a corner out of sight and Naruto followed slowly as he took in the scene around him. He had never been to the Uchiha Clan grounds before. It was beautiful, quiet, and eerily empty. The only sound was of the rustling trees as they shifted with the wind causing old wind chimes to softly jingle as they hung in front of empty homes. The lake came into view and Naruto took in the beautiful sight for a few moments before he realized the kid he had been following was sitting at the end of the pier. He looked closer and realized that it was the same kid that he had smashed into at The Academy. Naruto began to approach with nothing to lose and a firm desire to confront the kid for not telling people more loudly that what happened was an accident. Before he could get too close, he heard the soft sniffles indicating that the kid was crying. Naruto still had not quite put the pieces together that this was Sasuke Uchiha. The tragic story of the Uchiha clan had only been relayed to him once and very briefly by Iruka. He bravely approached Sasuke and squatted down next to him at the edge of the pier which took him by surprise.

“W-what are you doing here? This place is off limits!” Sasuke said as he desperately tried to wipe away and hide his tears. He was shocked to see that anyone had dared enter after the massacre. Most were terrified to enter the clan grounds in the first place and feared it even more now that it was a ghost town.

“I don’t care about that stuff. You just seemed lonely… but if you don’t want me here, I can go…”

Naruto was used to being rejected. This time had just seemed like it might be different. _Oh, well, I guess._ After the Uchiha didn’t answer him, he began to get up and turn.

“…Wait.” Sasuke suddenly spoke. “…stay.”

Naruto’s face lit up and he plopped himself down next to Sasuke who was still wiping tears from his face.

“Why are you crying?” He asked curiously. Sasuke half sobbed, half laughed at the idea that someone in the village still had absolutely no clue who he was because of his trauma.

_Does he live under a rock?_

The gears in Naruto’s mind began to turn and he did recall Iruka saying something about a _Sor… Sa… Something._

“… wait… are you that Uchiha kid?” Naruto asked finally putting two and two together.

“Aren’t you the Jinchūriki?” He asked sarcastically.

_No shit I’m ‘that Uchiha kid’._

“…Y-yeah.” Naruto looked down at the water with a down expression.

That word had only been associated with negativity his entire life. Sasuke immediately felt bad for bringing him down. After that day, he had realized how much the village really despised him.

“My name is Sasuke… What’s yours?” He spoke softly.

It was like flipping a switch. A big smile appeared on his face and he stood up excitedly.

“Naruto Uzumaki!” He proclaimed as if announcing it to a crowd with his thumb pointed at his chest and his best ‘cool’ face he could manage to make. Sasuke couldn’t help but smile a little mostly due to second hand embarrassment.

“That’s a dumb pose.” 

“HEH!? That’s my cool guy pose! No way it’s dumb! You just don’t know cool when you see it!” Naruto proclaimed his words with fire in his eyes.

Sasuke was amused at the boy’s confidence despite the trials he had endured that day. It was actually admirable.

“Whatever you say.” He dismissed Naruto’s irritation and stared at the water again.

“Hey… Sasuke… S-Sorry about running into you…”

Naruto had thought the entire thing had been completely his fault. Sasuke looked at him with eyes wide.

“Don’t worry about it. I… wasn’t looking where I was going.” He admitted sheepishly.

Naruto stared at him with another flicker of jealousy. They had made the same mistake and yet somehow Sasuke had gotten a completely different reaction from everyone.

“How do you get them to like you so much?” Naruto finally asked after several moments of silence.

“They don’t like me. They pity me. No one really likes _me_.” He furrowed his brows and threw a stone into his own reflection. Naruto watched the ripples distort Sasuke’s image in the water and realized that their paths had just intersected. He believed it was for a reason. 

“Well I would be your real friend without an ounce of pity!” Naruto decided.

Sasuke stared at the other boy, shocked that he would be so forward and say something so seemingly harsh but had actually been out of respect. He had not thought of making friends the last year and had been hyper-focused on his brother. The idea of a friend, _a real friend_ , was nice. He felt his heart flutter even if only barely.

“Hmph. You’re crazy for wanting to be friends with me.”

Sasuke knew that his path would eventually lead to one of further turmoil. Anyone willing to walk down that path with him would have to be insane. Naruto laughed loudly at his statement.

“ME!? The crazy one!? It would be the other way around, _Sasuke_. If you hang out with me out there… they might treat you different.”

Naruto’s tone had changed toward the end of his sentence to one of somber recollection of the day’s earlier events. Sasuke stared at him now realizing that this seemingly happy-go-lucky boy had a dark past of his own.

“I don’t care about that.”

His words rang sincere in that moment. Naruto smiled to himself, giddy that he had made not just _one_ friend, but _two_ in the same day.

“…Hey it’s getting late. Let’s walk home?” Naruto extended a hand to Sasuke to help him up. Sasuke stared at the boy’s reassuring face and his open hand. He was shocked by the boy’s kindness and sincerity. It had been refreshing. Sasuke took one more look at the clan grounds around him thinking about how it used to be what you would call _home_ and then looked back at Naruto’s hand before clasping it in his own and allowing Naruto to help him up. For some reason, the boys touch made him feel fuzzy. It was not at all like all the irritating times it had happened earlier that day. 

“Yeah…sure.” He said calmly despite feeling overly happy to be accompanied by someone.

Naruto smiled and began to walk. Sasuke stared for a moment before he followed after him and linked his index and middle finger with Naruto’s. Naruto stared at him, confused for a moment.

“W-What are you doing?”

“It means we’re friends now.” Sasuke tightened his grip on the other boys’ fingers as he had done at a much younger age with the children he played with the most. It had been an excuse to touch the other boy again. He looked over to see a beaming Naruto who was almost too excited to speak. Naruto walked him back to his apartment before rushing back to his own in the dark. The two smiled in their beds that night thinking about the other.

Despite Sasuke’s claims of friendship, however, he came to realize that Naruto could be incredibly irritating in class. He constantly got in trouble and was always starting something to induce chaos. Sasuke had tried to tell him at first how to do things correctly but his instruction went through one ear and out the other more often than not. It intensely frustrated Sasuke who was still intent on completing his goal. The two would get in fights because of Sasuke’s repeated coaching and eventual name-calling once he felt comfortable enough with the blonde. He eventually gave up trying to coach Naruto after several failed attempts. Naruto still constantly challenged him as he was eager to beat Sasuke who was essentially better than him at everything. Naruto had come to think of him more as a rival than a friend. Sasuke thought of him as a friend of sorts but never thought that he would be able to have friends seriously. Although, poking at Naruto’s buttons himself had become an amusing hobby for Sasuke. He did it whenever he wanted the blonde’s attention and Naruto always took the bait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music this chapter - Ocean Eyes by Billie Eilish  
> Stutter by Maroon 5


	4. Denial

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Watching this episode when I was a kid was honestly so enlightening as ridiculous as it sounds. I could just not believe that a show would animate two boys kissing. It was one of the first times in my life where I had seen something like that in an anime (or any cartoon) - even if it was an accident. It was just a small taste of what it meant to be gay and validated by media representation so I wanted to express my appreciation for it in this chapter. 
> 
> Naruto's POV of the incident is first and Sasuke's is second, separated by the ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Naruto stared into Sasuke’s eyes intensely, wide with anticipation. Sasuke glared back up at Naruto with similar intensity. The entire room had their eyes on the two 12-year old boys including Sasuke’s hoard of fan girls who had come to recognize Naruto as a pest who would bicker with _their_ Sasuke. Naruto moved closer to his rival, their noses not even an inch apart. The two had their eyes locked. The only thing that mattered in that room in that moment was each other… and how badly they both wanted to beat the fucking daylight out of the other. Naruto, at least, felt that way.

Naruto felt the nudge from the ninja behind him, followed by his feet losing his balance.

“Woah, this is great!”

Naruto didn’t have time to think about whatever the hell that guy was talking about before he realized what was happening. Their faces had collided in what could have been interpreted as a kiss. Their lips had touched but it had not been intentional. The gears shifted in his head as he realized he had Sasuke’s spit on his lower lip.

“HYEEEHH!?”

Naruto jerked his head back and began spitting out any potential Uchiha saliva. _Disgusting._ The idea of kissing a girl had crossed Naruto’s mind plenty of times but never a boy. He noticed Sasuke doing the same and realized they had just shared an incredibly unwanted and unplanned experience. It was not what he had imagined his first kiss to be at all if it could even be called that.

“I’m going to kill you, Naruto.” Sasuke choked. “My mouth is going to rot.”

He spoke dramatically as an unthinking reaction to something that had made him simultaneously feel so uncomfortable and yet intensely elated.

“It’s not my fault!” Naruto squeaked, still recovering from the incident.

Regardless of his pleas for innocence, Naruto has been found guilty of the worst crime imaginable. He told himself that It was over. This would be it. His entire ninja career was ending now. The fangirls would kill him on the spot. Their sharp stares and comments had begun to surround him. He would have to drop out. He had stolen something _priceless_ from them.

“What the fuck?” Sakura quietly muttered in utter shock of the scene she had just witnessed.

Her inner self shrieked in disbelief.

_CHAAA!! Naruto just… he just… went.. and RIPPED SASUKE’S FIRST KISS FROM YOU!? And he FORCED it on poor Sasuke? What is wrong with him!?_

Sakura Haruno stormed toward Naruto with her fist ready to punch. Naruto braced himself and began taking her punches as he had done many times before. Her reason had almost always had to do with Sasuke. A few of the other girls joined in and began to push and demean Naruto. He would never hit her or any of them back, but she always found plenty of reasons to hit him. Never enough to seriously injure him and always enough for it to hurt. He found it kind of attractive in a weird, backwards way which drew him to her, _but boy did it hurt. Ouch._ Sasuke just watched from his seat as the other girls in his class tried to cater to him.

She left Naruto beaten and bruised on the ground. This time felt worse than usual. She did hit a little bit harder than she normally did. Then it dawned on him.

 _That was it. The thing you had been anticipating for years and that was it_.

Naruto had really been dreaming of his first kiss for about three years. It started when he first saw Kiba kiss his first girlfriend about age nine. He had been so jealous up until she left poor Kiba to be in Sasuke’s fan-club. He had also imagined it would be romantic… and with Sakura, but instead he got _that bastard._ His thoughts ravished his mind with new possibilities. He looked back over at the Uchiha for a moment. 

_That wasn't actually that awful... It was only a kiss, right? Does this mean that I like boys now? Am I in trouble?_

He thought of Sasuke as his rival up until this moment where that image began to suddenly waver into a deeper and much more complicated possibility. Naruto pushed the idea away. Those thoughts were not to be had in Konoha.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Four long and grueling years had passed since first entering The Academy. Sasuke awoke Tuesday morning like he did any other Tuesday. Brushed his teeth, combed his hair, and put on a clean pair of clothes. He had packed his lunch and was ready to go to class. This was his last day at The Academy. He was almost finished and could not wait to be rid of it. The class was aimed at those much further below him, but he guessed that the specialized, after-school training he had received for his advanced skill was appreciated. Today would be a normal day, he hoped. No hiccups or anything weird and he would finally be able to call himself a shinobi.

The cloudy sky threatened yet another spring shower on top of Konoha. The water could be smelled in the air. Flowers bloomed throughout the Village representing that Spring was in full force. Sasuke had always admired the flowers for their beauty. They were a nice distraction from his usual bland walk to The Academy. Fortunately, his number one distraction for the last several years had yet to arrive. He knew he would see him eventually and began to anticipate seeing Naruto’s excited face. He was not sure how Naruto had even made it this far with his incredibly low marks and behavioral issues.

 _W_ _hy is that guy even in The Academy._

He neared The Academy and heard a familiar, raspy, high pitched voice going on about who-knew-what. He kept walking past a narrow ally way by which the sound of Naruto’s voice peaked. Sasuke found himself curious despite mental protests and repeated reasoning that there was no point in listening around the corner. He was able to make out the end of the conversation.

“… today, I’m a ninja!” Naruto exclaimed proudly within earshot.

Sasuke’s eyes widened a bit.

_He did it. He actually passed at the same time as I did._

Sasuke began to walk with Naruto on the other side of the ally, keeping the same pace. Despite all of Naruto’s flaws, there was also something great about him that Sasuke thought he would never admit to himself. All the people around the Uchiha always perceived him through rose-colored glasses since the massacre. They wanted to give him attention and shower him with forced affection. Truthfully, they had no idea who he was. Naruto treated him like he would any other boy in his class even if it meant backlash from the ridiculous fangirls. Sasuke appreciated that in secret. As they approached the end of the line of buildings separating them, Sasuke debated on approaching the blonde. Maybe if he walked into The Academy with the Jinchūriki, he would be left alone.

“HEY, Sasuke!” Naruto blurted upon only now noticing Sasuke’s presence about 20 feet to the right of him. “Guess what!? Now that we’re both ninjas, I’m going to make sure I beat you!” Naruto yelled while running up to Sasuke.

Sasuke smirked. Naruto really was a dumbass if he thought he would ever be able to beat him.

“I’d like to see you try, loser.” He breathed nonchalantly.

Sasuke kept walking toward The Academy and Naruto followed.

“Hey, you better take me serious! I’m getting stronger every day.” He insisted, trying to make Sasuke believe him even if only a little.

Sasuke appreciated his resilience and at the same time genuinely thought he would be useless on a battlefield.

“There’s only one way to prove that, but right now there’s no way _you_ of all people would be able to defeat me.” Sasuke boasted, knowing that it would push the blonde’s buttons.

It was so easy to get him fired up he couldn’t resist. The terrible thought that would pop up in his mind from time to time made itself known again.

_He’s cute. No. Ugly. He's so ugly... ugh... not working._

“Don’t talk all high and mighty Sasuke. You’re not invincible just like the rest of us!”

Naruto pretended to ignore his rival by looking away. In truth, he was eagerly waiting for a response.

“You’re right.”

Sasuke paused for a moment while Naruto forgot he was trying to ignore him and turned his head back to stare with eyes wide.

“…which is exactly why I need to get stronger.”

Sasuke noticed the stare and almost immediately felt uncomfortable as he looked back at Naruto’s bright blue eyes against his olive skin. His heart fluttered.

_Don’t go there. Knock it the fuck off. Get your head straight._

Naruto suddenly broke his stare and began giggling.

“Well then you better fight me because I’m gonna be your biggest challenge!” He said with a wink.

The Uchiha rarely admitted when anyone else was right let alone him of all people. It was incredibly exciting to be acknowledged.

Sasuke couldn’t help but let the corners of his mouth go up a little. Something about Naruto just made him feel _…like water._

He stared back at the blonde for just a moment longer before realizing they had reached The Academy. He debated on how to enter without creating too much of a commotion.

“You… uh.. erm.” He mumbled.

Sasuke struggled to find his words but wanted to ask Naruto to sit with him. If he didn’t, then it would be yet another fight about who got to sit next to him. Usually, he would sit down next to someone he knew wouldn’t bother him to end it, but they were early for orientation. Why was it such a big deal? It was just a seat.

_Why is it so hard for me to talk to him?_

Naruto looked at him, confused. Sasuke wasn’t replying to his challenge with the determination and energy that he had hoped, but instead was struggling with his words? It was very unlike Sasuke and super suspicious.

“Sit with me.” Sasuke demanded suddenly and looked away to avoid Naruto seeing his face.

He was sure it was a light hue of pink.

“Huh? You want me to…sit.. with _you_?” Naruto confirmed, trying to see if this was any kind of trick.

The only other person who had ever semi-asked him to sit next to him was Shikamaru who had invited Naruto to sit with his friend group mostly out of pity. Sasuke usually sat next to people he didn’t talk to or rather people who would not talk to him. He didn’t really talk to anyone except as needed and to Naruto. Naruto speculated a little further before the Uchiha was able to reply.

“Just… do me this one favor.” Sasuke’s voice sounded pleading even if he had every intention of covering his desperation for a break.

He managed to give a side eye to Naruto as a subtle notion to please just drop it and do what he asked.

“Uh… well.. okay if you really want me to. You know, I always thought you hated me Sasuke.”

It was true, the Uchiha had never really treated him particularly well and to top it off, he never did anything when Naruto was being berated by anyone or beat up for that matter. He thought hard about it. Why was Sasuke suddenly being kind of … _nice?_ It was completely strange to Naruto. 

“Shut up. Nevermind, don’t worry about it.” 

This was getting too personal way too fast and he needed an out. Quickly. Soon, Naruto would tell the entire class he had gone soft and that he was _Naruto’s_ best friend. He couldn’t have _that._ Even if social status was another dumb thing on the surface to him, he still cared deeply about how the village perceived him.

Naruto could tell that he had been nervous about asking in the first place now that he had anxiously back tracked.

“Okay, okay, jeez. I’ll sit with you and not another word about it. Just calm down.”

“I AM CALM!” Sasuke snapped.

Naruto just stared. He had hit some kind of strange soft spot in Sasuke and his curiosity was piquing. Although, he was afraid that if he pressed, it would erase the opportunity to finally act like friends.

Sasuke cleared his throat and pretended like his mini outburst had not happened.

“Just… come on.” He finally said.

Naruto shrugged and followed him. Sasuke could already hear a few whispers about them walking in together. At least they were not crowding him in the halls. That entire situation felt awkward and terrible, but he didn’t want to push Naruto away. For some god-awful reason, it was always better when he was there.

They both sat down quietly in the classroom. Class was scheduled to begin in about 15 minutes. A few other students had trickled in and taken their seats. Sasuke stared at the table trying to think of what to say. His mind was full of nonsense. Anything that ran through his mind sounded stupid. He felt Naruto staring at him. He laced his fingers together and placed them so they were covering his mouth which helped calm his anxious thoughts.

Naruto was still confused and trying to figure out why Sasuke wanted to sit next to _him_ of all people. He heard a sweet voice from the back of the class and realized that it was his crush. He turned, elated to see Sakura Haruno. In his mind, Sakura was beautiful, smart, and confident. These were things he could not find in himself, yet she radiated with them. She also fit in with the popular kids or at least she did from Naruto’s perspective. He admired her for everything, inside and out. He also understood why being with her was impossible. He had not seriously considered dating anyone mostly because no one had shown interest. He reasoned that if he had been able to snag a few people to be his friends that he could also eventually snag a girlfriend. In his dream world, that girlfriend would be Sakura.

Naruto noticed Sakura’s gaze from his seat and his heart began to flutter. She was coming his way.

_Is she going to talk to me? Is this going to be the start of something beautiful?_

Naruto was reasoning about how becoming a ninja had already changed his entire life for the better when suddenly a harsh push from his left sent him to the ground again. He picked himself up only to see that Sakura and a few other girls had shoved him aside and were arguing over who got to sit next to Sasuke. Naruto almost instantaneously felt rage rise and take over. Sasuke had wanted to sit next to _him_ and here he was on the ground with Sasuke silent about his mistreatment, _again._

_Not this fucking time._

Sasuke watched the entire incident in horror. This had been exactly what he was trying to avoid and now Naruto was paying the price for it.

_Damn it._

The fangirls were closing in and he had no escape route. Suddenly, he looked up to see those big blue eyes staring him down again except this time much… much closer and genuinely angry. Naruto didn’t have to tell Sasuke why he was upset. Sasuke selfishly did not want to be so forthright about befriending Naruto and knew that was the reason he was suddenly in his face.

_Why is he so close to me?_

Sasuke’s heart began to pound. He refused to admit to himself the real reason behind his panic and chalked it up to wanting to fight. People around him were speaking, but he had no recollection about what anyone had said. Time seemed to slow down as Naruto got closer to him. He suddenly felt a rough collision against his lips. Sasuke pulled away as soon as it happened and saw the sheer panic in Naruto’s face followed by choking and gagging. He had to move and react the same.

_Say something. Something. Anything._

“I-I’ll kill you.” He managed to blurt out. “My mouth is going to rot!”

_Too dramatic_

He turned away again for fear of being observed during his fake act. Truthfully, it wasn’t as bad as everyone was making it out to be. His paranoia told him that if he didn’t react in any way, someone might think he was playing for the wrong team.

_What the fuck just happened?_

Sasuke stared, bewildered, as the girls cornered Naruto. His thoughts began to race intensely.

_Did he just… do that on purpose? No… did that guy in the chair behind Naruto apologize? Had he bumped him?_

The emotions Sasuke had been shoving to the depths of his being suddenly surfaced.

_Had Naruto just been… like all those other fan girls this entire time? Was he really that bold?_

“Are you okay, Sasuke?” One of the girls asked him, causing him to come back to reality for a moment.

“… How annoying.” He replied, more irritated about having been put in the position to deal with his insane fan club than the kiss itself.

“It was an accident!” Naruto squealed, knowing that he was in for some deep trouble by the looks of the girls’ faces.

Sasuke heard what he said and rationalized that his mind had been playing dirty tricks on him. He needed to get out of there, quickly. The chaos happening before him prevented his escape without the entire class noticing. Naruto was getting punches to the face. It was hard to watch, but if he did something, wouldn’t the entire class think there was really something going on between the two of them? Sasuke laced his hands together again and covered as much of his face as he could without being obvious about the immense anxiety brewing in his mind. He kept going over what happened repeatedly while simultaneously attempting to dismiss it and pay attention. His swirling thoughts made it damn near impossible to concentrate.

Just then, Iruka entered the classroom and spoke authoritatively to the class to quiet down. He was finally saved. Naruto shot daggers in Sasuke’s direction for the remainder of that class. He fumed in his seat as far away from the Uchiha as possible which was fine by Sasuke in that moment. Being around the blonde made him act strangely. He began to question how much of an accident it had been even though rationally he knew it had been. Frustration over his own wandering thoughts followed. He angrily focused all of his attention on his studies to distract himself from his own creativity.

Later that night, Sasuke laid in his bed, with his eyes open. He couldn’t sleep. All he could think about was what happened that day. He pulled his hand to his face and traced his fingers over his own lips. Just remembering the feeling made him feel like he was floating on a cloud. Sasuke had always thought that if anything were to happen with a boy, he could confirm that he hated it and be done with the terrible thoughts that pushed his mind further down a spiral. Instead, it contributed to confirming one his biggest fears. He refused to use the word even in his own mind and thought it would go with him to his grave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music This Chapter - Freefall by Rainbow Kitten Surprise


	5. Unwarranted Feelings

Naruto was strapped helplessly against the giant log in training ground 2. His stomach growled and protested the words his new sensei had tragically dumped onto their brand-new Team 7. He had mixed feelings about being on the same team as Sasuke but felt he had gotten extremely lucky to have Sakura on his team. The three had a rough start to their first day of official training with their new sensei. Naruto was convinced he was an actual psychopath.

_How could Sensei do such a thing?_

He had experienced too many betrayals in his young life to deal with a sensei who would do the same thing. The ones that involved food were particularly evil. The sadistic words of Kakashi Hatake were still in his head-

_“I’ll give you guys one more chance. However, after noon it will be a much harder fight to take the bell from me. Those who want to take on the challenge, can eat lunch, but don’t give any to Naruto. If either of you help him eat, you will immediately be disqualified, and I will abandon you as your sensei.”_

Naruto was horrified that he was the subject of such cruel and unusual punishment. He thought that his teacher had automatically singled him out. It just wasn’t fair. On top of that, Sasuke and Sakura decided it had been a good idea to eat their lunches in front of him. It seemed so mean, but at the same time he was glad they didn’t decide to leave him alone. He tried to rationalize his hunger away. It was only food, after all. His stomach gurgled audibly enough for his team to hear. He blushed wildly and tried to play it off. 

“I’m okay with not eating! No problem!” He exclaimed.

His stomach exposed his lie and disagreed vehemently and loudly. Sakura ate her food happily to the side of Naruto. In her mind, it had been what he deserved for breaking the rules and going against Kakashi’s instructions. Now all she had to do what eat her meal and ignore Naruto which should be easy to do. After all, there was not much else she could do but follow Kakashi’s orders. Wasn’t that what all shinobi were supposed to do?

The cruelty of Kakashi had rubbed Sasuke the wrong way completely. He thought about all the times in class when he saw Naruto sitting alone at lunch with nothing to eat and how he would sometimes leave things for him to find. Sasuke realized that he was getting fed up with how Naruto was treated and felt himself getting defensive over him from time to time. Never outwardly enough for the blonde, or anyone else for that matter, to see. He cared for Naruto in a way he would not admit, even to himself, and even admired him despite his repeated downfalls. He was incredibly kind beneath his chaotic nature and always held his head high despite his failures.

Sasuke looked up at him and could see the look of discomfort from desperate hunger on his friend’s face. He probably hadn’t had a decent thing to eat in days. All that ramen could not be healthy. Sasuke deliberated for a moment and picked at a piece of rice. His heart began to beat fast as he was strongly considering losing his status as a Hidden Leaf shinobi right then. He settled on the idea that if letting Naruto starve was what it meant to be a shinobi, that he didn’t want anything to do with it.

He thought hard about what Kakashi had said and wondered why he had left them alone and told them _specifically_ not to do _one_ thing. It was suspicious. He was, however, conflicted. It was considered romantic to feed someone like that. He felt his face flush vaguely with color just from the thought. With rapid impulsive conclusions firing in Sasuke’s brain, he decided that he no longer cared what Sakura thought or what Kakashi would think if he saw them. With one simple gesture, he picked up some of his food and held it to Naruto’s lips.

Naruto was completely and utterly shocked at Sasuke’s actions. His eyes grew wide with amazement and a blush appeared across his face.

_Is he really trying to feed me?_

He stared at the Uchiha who gestured for him to _just take it already._ He slowly opened his mouth and took the food from Sasuke’s chop sticks. He couldn’t help but stare because it was the kindest thing Sasuke had ever done for him. He had thought he absolutely _loathed_ him up until that moment. That day, his perception of his rival had expanded into treasured friend. A simple gesture was all it took. 

“W-wait a minute Sasuke! Didn’t sensei just say-” Sakura started, concerned that Sasuke would just ignore his sensei’s orders that easily.

“-It’s fine Sakura. He’s nowhere around anymore.” Sasuke interrupted knowing full well he could come out and catch them at any moment. “Besides, I..” he paused for a brief moment, “ _We_ need him... to complete the mission.” 

Sakura stared at her crush, completely surprised by his behavior. She thought about Naruto and how gross he was. He usually smelled, had bad manners, was loud, and frankly just obnoxious. She tried desperately to come up with a good reason as to why Sasuke was being nice to him. She had thought the two hated each other. Clearly, Sasuke did not share that disposition. She realized that if he did, for some insane reason, care for Naruto on this level that she should too. She eventually rationalized it as him having pity on the less gifted boy and immediately began mentally gushing over his kindness. She nervously looked down at her own food and at the grassy area Kakashi-Sensei had disappeared into and decided that she would defy her sensei to make sure Sasuke noticed her being kind too.

She lifted up her bento box and offered a bite to Naruto who could not believe his eyes. His crush was offering him food too! This was the best day ever! Naruto instantly became giddy seeing this cute girl give him attention _and_ food. He was truly touched by both Sasuke and Sakura’s kindness. He was, however, particularly excited about the attention from Sakura, much to Sasuke’s annoyance.

“Thank you, guys.” Naruto’s voice trembled.

He was so grateful and couldn’t stop his eyes from watering just a little. It felt right. For the first time in his life, he felt like he belonged and that he was accepted.

Sakura was taken aback from the genuine reaction from Naruto gave from her offer. She didn’t want him to get too chummy though. She knew he liked her and was not quiet about it. She had told him no plenty of times and was afraid her act of kindness might make him think it would be alright to come on to her again.

“I’m on a diet, so I eat less than Sasuke. Here. Eat it quickly before we are noticed.” She spoke with vague irritation in her voice.

This was not her first choice, but if Sasuke was doing it, then she had no choice. She picked up a sesame ball from her bento and held it up.

“Only this one time!” She announced before holding it close enough for him to eat.

Naruto gladly obliged and bit the food off her chop sticks. She leaned back upon seeing his mouth open in front of her expecting him to have nasty breath. To her surprise, his teeth were surprisingly clean, sparkling white, and well kept.

Hidden in the trees, their sensei grinned widely beneath his mask as he watched his Genin team pass his test. The sight was insanely adorable. Even Sasuke, brooding and quiet, had decided to help Naruto in his time of need. This is exactly what he needed to see on his team. It was only a seed, but it would grow into something huge. He had not expected that messing with these twelve-year-olds would be so entertaining. They were truly sweet and incredibly innocent.

_Now time to scare the ever-loving fuck out of them before I congratulate them for passing their first test on Team 7._

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Training went on relentlessly for the next several months. They needed to prepare for their first mission and experience was necessary. The three of them still had a long way to go. The regimes were incredibly rigorous, meant to heighten their senses, reactions, and strength. Team 7 became closer as they spent more time together.

It had become increasingly evident that Naruto wasn’t so bad to Sakura. Underneath all of his intensity, there was something truly likable that she could not put her finger on. Even though she had begun to appreciate him, she did not find him attractive in the slightest. Her heart was for Sasuke and Sasuke alone. She saw through the cracks sometimes at his true nature. It was what had caused her to fall for him in the first place. He was mostly mysterious and occasionally displayed acts of genuine care and kindness that made her feel so much more for him. She wanted to protect him and make him feel better in any way she could. If only he would just open up. She had no way of knowing that her heart was going to break one way or another. Her innocent world view prevented her from considering the idea.

Sasuke also only had eyes for one, but his only one would never be his - at least that is what he repeatedly told himself that at night. Some nights he would pace back and forth, thinking about what to do with his problem. It was becoming an incredible nuisance that was distracting him from his primary goal. Naruto would simply have to brush past him, and he could feel himself get flustered.

There had even been times when Naruto had tried to speak with Sasuke about Sakura, trying to get advice on how to talk to her. He had dismissed the questions completely and had told his teammate to stop trying. He was almost certain that had hurt the blonde’s feelings and he had, in fact, crushed Naruto’s ideas of going on a date with Sakura. He justified it to himself, knowing that Sakura was not interested, so it was better for him to hear it as it was. She had told Sasuke blatantly on multiple occasions she did not like Naruto after all. He was selfishly grateful she did not have an interest in him in that way. At the same time he wished that she did so that he could sever his growing and inconvenient feelings.

The thought of Naruto being with someone made him suddenly feel incredibly angry. He cursed at himself under his breath and gritted his teeth as he laid in bed with the crescent moon shining through his window. He would need to sever that bond himself. No one would do it for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music This Chapter - Only One by Yellowcard


	6. Addicted

The bright and full moon peeked behind the tree branches creating dancing shadows across the forest floor. Sasuke laid flat on his back, arms extended. His hair was scattered across his scuffed headband. He was breathing heavy and had a sheen of sweat across his pearl-toned body. His clothes were slightly damp, clinging to his sore muscles. The familiar scent of his own body odor wafted through the air mixed with the earthy fragrance of rich, unfarmed soil and dying leaves which coated the land. 

He was done for the night and so was… this boy… this boy who kept finding increasingly incredulous ways to destroy Sasuke’s initial ideas of him.

_Why him?_

Naruto was so annoying sometimes, and yet, he had light burning inside him that Sasuke craved. The feeling was like drifting through a gentle current while watching the world go by in a soft shade of purple. It was incredibly addicting. It had grown throughout the years and Sasuke didn’t know what it was at first. It crept up on him with more stealth than any highly trained ninja. It was intoxicating and sudden; completely unwanted and vastly surprising. He found himself thinking about it often, therefore he found it to be an enormous distraction.

The feelings had only grown with the more time they spent together and the idea of losing him terrified him. Something had to be done to silence these thoughts, or he was certain he would actually spontaneously combust. He imagined the confrontation. Just picturing the look Naruto would give upon telling him that _he liked him_ made him begin to panic. He rationalized that if he said something to Naruto, he would be rejected and therefore the feelings would be crushed forever. He also ran the risk of the blonde running his mouth about the interaction. Regardless of the risk, and no matter how he looked at it, he reasoned that he needed to find out how Naruto felt one way or another. It was to destroy the _delusions_ that he had manifested in his mind. He hated that he felt the way he did and wanted desperately for it to stop. It was like a freight train was dragging him through the dirt and mud and he had no choice but to be subjected to the powerful force that was driving him. 

Naruto was laying on his stomach with his head turned to face Sasuke. His clothing had already been covered in dirt and debris from their intense training session. His eyes were half shut, and his body was screaming for sustenance after the brutal competition he had endured that day, _but he had kept up with the class genius_.

He still thought of Sasuke as his rival but now that he had gotten to know him, he also considered him a close friend... maybe even a best friend... regardless of his flaws. The two shared an exhilarating bond that Naruto had come to value immensely. He was friends with other people, sure, but Sasuke had an aura about him that he could not get enough of. He knew he never wanted to let go of it. It was different from the bonds he had begun to create with other people in his life. 

Sasuke looked back at Naruto for a few more long moments before looking up at the stars glistening above him in their spectacular glory through the trees. He took in the last moments of normalcy that he believed he and Naruto would have together. He was _sure_ that after he did what he was about to do, Naruto would no longer speak to him. This would make it easier, though, when the time came for him to fulfill his duty to his clan. The thought of being rejected was terrifying. Something even more terrifying to him was living in an eternity of uncertain hell. The secret that he had kept for so many years was brimming to the surface. It threatened viscously to escape his lips like it never had before. He fought it instinctively. To give in to it and say such things seemed almost impossible. He didn't even know where to start, only that he had to say _something._ His heart raced as he desperately tried to build up his courage.

_I need to let it out..._

In his panic, he said the first thing that came to mind in barely a mutter.

“Naruto… you’re amazing.”

His gaze shifted slowly over to the blonde.

Naruto wondered for a moment if his teammate was being sarcastic again. However, usually the sarcasm was preceded or followed with a _tch_ or a _heh._ He had also come to recognize it as Sasuke’s way of expressing himself in a lot of situations because he was afraid to say what he really meant. This knowledge had been relayed to Sasuke much to his original horror. Naruto had wanted him to know that he saw him. Really saw him through all his fortified walls.

In a flashing moment, the pieces came together. Naruto’s eyes grew wide and his mouth became slightly agape. Genuine words of praise aimed at _him_ for the first time by Sasuke. The rush of emotion allowed him the energy to suddenly sit up.

“W-w-what are you talking about!? Don’t say such embarrassing things… ahh... um. I mean... I guess... you’re pretty … amazing too. I mean th-thank you.”

Naruto was not prepared to declare such things openly and the embarrassment caused his cheeks to become far too warm to make eye contact. He did think Sasuke was amazing. After all, his rival would not be anything less than amazing. He was a genius and he had all the girls wrapped around his finger, but for Sasuke to tell _him_ that _he_ was amazing? It seemed like a joke almost. He imagined turning around and Sasuke mocking him for believing such lies.

After several moments and no response, the torture of not knowing the Uchiha's facial expression became unbearable. He looked back over to witness a rare phenomenon. His friend’s usual scowl was replaced with a soft and dreamy guise, but it only lasted a moment. The moonlight bounced off of his skin as leaves slowly drifted to the ground all around them. It was the first time Naruto realized how beautiful he was. Naruto’s face was not becoming any cooler as confusing thoughts raced through his mind about his friend.

“Thanks... Uh… I have a question.” Sasuke said with furrowed brows.

Naruto perked up, eager to talk to him about legitimately anything he had to say. 

“Do you ever think that the path we are given is not always the path that we should take? Even if the path we should take will make people hate you despite it being best for you?”

Sasuke knew the answer he had given himself and was half-sure the answer would be the same from Naruto.

Naruto thought deeply about the question. This was one of the only times Sasuke had exposed his mind to him and he wanted to make sure he gave a good answer.

_Is he talking about his brother? What does he mean by given path?_

Just then it occurred to Naruto that he had not taken any kind of ‘given’ path at all. 

_I'm going to be Hokage regardless of any stupid path._

“Yeah… sometimes people find their own path. I know I did. Uhm… What do you mean about people hating you?”

He spoke carefully to try to pry Sasuke’s mind a little further. He did not get a response, but the Uchiha got up, walked over, and sat cross legged directly in front of him to face him. His eyes were cold again or was it just emptiness? Naruto watched him closely as his nerves began to run wild. Sasuke stared at him and his face contorted to sadness for a moment. It made Naruto even more nervous. Sasuke breathed a shaky breath before finally deciding to speak.

“I need to tell you something…” he looked down.

Something unexpected was happening. He did not get very far with his words before a surge of painful emotions broke free for the first time in years. He genuinely thought that he was broken for feeling the way he did about Naruto. Like something had gone terribly wrong at some point to make him feel the way he did about another boy. He felt disgusting like a stain on his clan’s name. Or as if he had begun to betray them in some way. The thought of his parents disapproving of him in the afterlife ripped him apart. Verbally acknowledging the existence of his feelings for Naruto for the first time was turning out to be intensely overwhelming. 

Naruto’s heart raced as he watched what was happening. Droplets of water fell silently on Sasuke’s thigh. At first, Naruto thought it was rain. His heart sunk upon realizing that the droplets had been tears. Naruto’s mind raced into a further oblivion. He was not familiar with how to be close with someone and he definitely did not know what to do if someone else was crying. No one had taught him. Sasuke had not dared show any emotion to anyone if he could help it except maybe anger. This was the first time that he had seen anything else.

 _Holy shit why is he crying?!_

Sasuke slowly lifted his head, resolving to let Naruto see him as he was. It was one of the most difficult things he had ever done through all his training. Every part of him was telling him to get up and run, but he also knew what would await him if he spent another night back in Konoha alone without even trying to do what he was about to do. This would determine everything.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sakura walked nervously back and forth across the floor. She was grateful for Tazuna’s hospitality and the food was delicious. She just could not help but be nervous for her reckless team, rather her _one_ reckless team mate. She knew Sasuke would try to save him if he ever did anything really stupid. From how he had performed as a ninja, it was not an irrational fear. 

_W_ hat _on earth were those two doing? We have a mission to complete tomorrow._

She looked at the clock once again. She had checked it 40, or was it 50? At least 70 times… _12:31 AM._

_Shit._

Kakashi Sensei had not seemed to be bothered with her concerns, insisting that they were fine and could take care of themselves before disappearing for the night. Sakura was not sure of this and felt that Kakashi-Sensei was far too relaxed to manage those two. Kakashi, in fact, was one of the most observant ninjas in Konoha and lately, he noticed Sasuke’s gaze… on Naruto. Constantly. Poor kid was dealt a bad deck of cards with having to deal with _that_ on top of having his clan destroyed. He had seen what happened to other ninja in Sasuke’s position and it was never good. His status of the last standing Uchiha would amplify his problem 10-fold and he guessed his pupil likely knew that. He hoped that he could somehow still be wrong. He would need to carefully tiptoe around the subject so as not to disrupt Sasuke’s already fragile psyche. He hoped that Sasuke would come to him if he ever needed help with _anything_ and made this blatantly clear to his pupil on numerous occasions. Despite his offerings of trust, the young Uchiha shut him out in the same way he had shut everyone else out. It would take a long time to break down that wall of his.

Her anxiety pushed her more and more until she could no longer rationalize staying put. 

_What if they're lost or seriously injured?_

_Sasuke wouldn’t have those problems, or would he?_

_What if that blonde dumbass did something stupid and got them both in trouble?_

_What if I don't go and they were still not home tomorrow?_

She had to go. She would never forgive herself for staying if something terrible happened.

She dressed herself quickly and began to make her way to the door. The house was silent completely and dark. She thought she would be discreet and used chakra to tip toe down the creaky stairs as to not make noise. She carefully opened the door to reveal a full moon and starry sky. The forest was scary looking at night and also eerily quiet but for a few noisy crickets. The two could normally be heard sparring together or at the very least Naruto’s screaming in response to Sasuke’s taunts. She fought with her fears of the dark for several more moments before she decided that if she didn’t check on them, she wouldn’t get a wink of sleep that night. 

She took off at full speed. She proficiently and briskly made her way through the forest, determined to just grab her teammates, and go home. All she wanted was to confirm they _both_ were safe. Although Naruto was incredibly annoying, she saw how Sasuke had come to appreciate him and found their friendship cute in an odd kind of way. She would get jealous at times such as when Sasuke so immediately broke Kakashi’s rules for him or when Sasuke would show up for training and walk past her to catch up to Naruto. Despite their constant arguing, she could tell it was different from the initial angry and passive aggressive words exchanged and had evolved to be more like playful banter. Sasuke had always seemed so lonely prior to knowing him. They were a strange match, but it worked surprisingly well.

She followed the trees they had marked toward the area they had been training in during the day. Possibilities continued to present themselves to drive her fearful anxiety.

_What if they’re hurt or what if they got in a fight and hurt each other?_

_What if some outsider ninja attacked them?_

Her thoughts circled imagining the worst possible scenarios. She had not considered the true reason that Sasuke had kept so desperately hidden for years. After what had seemed like an eternity, she finally heard their voices and jumped from the trees. She scanned the area carefully and eventually spotted them off in the distance, sitting together.

_The hell are they doing?_

She couldn’t quite see so she carefully approached before she saw something. She furrowed her brows and took a harder look. She was about to call out to them but froze when it became clear what she was seeing. Her mouth dropped. Her mind told her it was not possible. She must be dreaming or in some kind of sick fiction. She rubbed her eyes and looked again. She stumbled back and leaned against a tree. Her eyes were wide trying to process everything. Her gut told her to vomit. Before she had any more time to react, Sasuke had gotten up and looked in her direction.

 _Shit he noticed me._ _No. I did not just see what I thought I saw. I need to get out of here._

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sasuke slowly looked up at Naruto with tears still dripping from his eyes, but his face was serious. It felt humiliating, but it had to be done to settle his raging, anxiety filled mind. Naruto was shocked by this sudden raw energy emulating from him. In all the years they had known each other, this was a side of him he never thought he would see. Their friendship had consisted of rivalry, hatred, but also an intensely deep bond that neither of them had ever experienced with another. It was almost intimate. 

“Sasuke… I don’t know what’s going on but... you can talk to me. I won’t tell.”

Naruto’s voice was instinctively low. He kept going in circles in his mind about what Sasuke could possibly say to him to make him even consider that he would be _hated_ for it?

Sasuke couldn’t find his words. He attempted several times and they just would not form in his mind.

_Dammit. I can't speak. I might as well... take a chance._

He would just need to act. He leaned closer to Naruto carefully and slowly while trying not to focus on his pounding heart. He expected Naruto to pull back or push him away. When he didn’t, his heart finally gave in and he did something he had wanted to do for years. Naruto at first thought that Sasuke may have been about to whisper something to him, but then his face didn’t move away. It didn’t fully register what was happening until he felt the soft pressure of lips against his own. At first it had been shocking followed by an intense sensation like a breath of life itself had made its way in his lungs or a freshwater creek running directly through his soul. His arms suddenly felt weak under his weight. The euphoric feeling had left him just as soon as it had met him.

Sasuke pulled away with a look of immense shame on his face. He looked down again in defeat as if he had committed a terrible atrocity. Naruto was completely dazed and only had one thing on his mind.

_I need more of whatever the fuck that was._

Naruto grabbed Sasuke by the shirt and pulled him back for another intense and roughly executed kiss. He sailed back off to the beautiful wonderland that had existed in front of him this entire time. It lasted a few moments longer this time, but something was wrong. He felt pressure on his chest, followed by his head on the ground. Sasuke had shoved him off.

“We’re being watched.” Sasuke spoke shakily and half choked on his words.

He quickly got up and gathered their things without another word. When he moved, Naruto could see he was visibly trembling. Naruto had never seen him exhibit so much fear. Sasuke took one more longing look at Naruto before offering a hand to help him since he was still too weak to walk on his own.

“We have to go.” He said urgently.

Naruto took his hand which somehow felt different than it had before. It was like an electric current almost, rushing through him again, teasing him about the feeling he had been so lucky to just experience. Sasuke pulled Naruto’s arm over his neck and held it there using his right arm. He put his other around Naruto’s waste. Naruto felt his heart flutter like in the way it did when Sakura would to speak to him, but this time it was magnificently intense. Naruto felt the heat rise to his face again. Sasuke, however, had grown incredibly pale.

“Naruto… you weren’t supposed to kiss me back.” He whispered.

He cursed himself mentally for being so stupid. Not only had he put himself in danger, he had put Naruto in danger too. Flashbacks of his father slapping him across his face for asking about boys played prominently in his head followed by the lecture he had received for daring to disturb the delicate balance of his clan. What he had just done was forbidden by the Gods and punishable by Konoha law. The immense guilt of dragging Naruto into his sick fantasy pressed hard on his heart.

“What do you mean? Don’t tell me that was an accident too…”

Naruto was thoroughly confused by Sasuke’s actions at this point. He knew Konoha didn’t like when girls kissed girls or when boys kissed boys but he also knew that the village generally didn’t like _him_ so he was less inclined to follow their strange laws.

“It was an accident! Impulsive and reckless… there could be consequences… Just… forget it ever happened.” Sasuke spoke with distress as they hobbled along the path slowly.

Naruto furrowed his brows and looked at the ground. 

_He's so confusing sometimes. No way that was an accident._

This was not going according to his plan at all. Naruto was supposed to reject him to silence the incessant thoughts going through his head. Instead, the flame he had felt for him had erupted into a wild inferno fueled by kerosene. He kicked himself again mentally for making such an idiotic mistake.

Another memory from his childhood protruded from his mind as his paranoia grew. He was only about five years old at the time and he had loved to watch his mother put on her makeup. He would sit and observe her every chance he got to bask in her incredible beauty. Seeing the transformation was always so amazing to his young self. One day, he had decided to copy her when she wasn’t home. His father caught him. He was slapped across the face hard and warned of a place where people who did that went to and what they would do to those people. The memory had always been prevalent in his mind ever since and he had promised his father that he would never betray the Gods. This seemed to be a sign that his father had been right.

Naruto’s hazy mind began to clear even if it was distracting to be this close to Sasuke. He knew Konoha did not talk about boys liking boys. It was forbidden speech in the village and Naruto didn’t think much of it until tonight. Whatever it was, Naruto was sure that _they_ wouldn’t be affected by it, right?

“Consequences?” 

Sasuke looked back to where he had heard the sound and sensed the presence of chakra. Maybe it had been an animal. It was gone now. He spoke lowly to Naruto. He deserved to know the truth of the danger he could be in.

“If they find out… they will put you in a room where they force you to look at women. Then, you are forced to… touch them… to teach you to not be attracted to boys.”

He spoke under his breath to avoid their stalker’s ears overhearing their highly taboo conversation. He paused to look around again suspiciously before continuing.

“You’ll be okay. They would release you quickly or they won’t admit you at all because you’re the Jinchūriki and… you like women… as for me…” his voice trailed off and Sasuke turned his head for several more seconds.

Naruto was close enough to see more tears running down the side of Sasuke’s face regardless of his efforts to hide. 

Naruto furrowed his brows further.

_Sasuke doesn’t like girls? Who doesn’t like girls? He has all these girls always around him all the time AND HE DOESN’T LIKE IT?_

_Was a place where you had to look at women really that terrifying?_

He contemplated the thought of the idea of Sasuke being taken away and being forced to do something he didn’t want to. The thought infuriated him. 

“You really don’t like girls?” Naruto asked, still confused as to how anyone would not want beautiful girls fawning over them.

Sasuke scoffed. “What do you think, dumbass?”

Naruto thought about Sasuke’s response for a few more moments before the reality hit him like a pile of bricks.

_Holy shit, I think Sasuke likes **me**. _

He was not the brightest ninja in Konoha. The events before had taken a few minutes to process. A creeping blush appeared on his cheeks. 

“I will protect you.” Naruto proclaimed assuredly with his usual big goofy smile.

Sasuke turned his head toward him, eyes wide.

“You don’t have to worry, Sasuke. No matter what they say, I will cover you. If they ask me anything, I will tell them about all the girls that have their panties dropping for you.” Naruto laughed at his own joke. 

He still felt weak especially after what had just happened but still playfully punched Sasuke’s side with his free arm.

Sasuke couldn’t help but smile just a little. Naruto had surprised him again, but he was still stupidly naïve.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

_Oh shit. He knows I’m here._

Sakura began to panic. Her heart felt like it was going to jump out of her throat. She stood frozen for a moment, watching her teammates scramble to move. She finally began to push herself mentally.

_Move. Get out of there. Just go._

She finally managed to make her legs move beneath her and back to the trees. She began to move swiftly, watching carefully for anything that would give away her location. She had to beat them, but based on what she just saw, they would not make it back any time soon. Sakura tried to process what she had witnessed.

_Was that really a… k-kiss?_

Fortunately for her, she had looked away before she had seen Naruto kiss Sasuke back.

_Why him… why him… why him… WHY HIM!?_

She began to feel heated as she rushed back to their temporary residence. Her mind flipped from telling her that she had not seen what she thought she saw and reacting to what she knew she saw. It had been bad enough that Naruto had accidentally stolen Sasuke’s first kiss and now it was happening _on purpose._ She had gone after Sasuke for years, constantly trying to prove herself to him. She had never understood why he had never shown any interest at all in her or even the girls in her class. She had always chalked it off as Sasuke taking his studies seriously. Even so, she had plenty of time to think about him and she still had straight A’s.

She thought about the doctrines from class about Konoha and how important it was to procreate as ninja gave their lives for the safety of it. Was it not a crime in Konoha to betray your village and choose to not benefit the community? They had an entire chapter on it in class. She also remembered how they told them that if any of them experience any of the psychological symptoms of _deterring from that path_ that they should talk to a sensei about it so they could get the help that they needed. She contemplated telling Kakashi what she had seen.

Sakura suddenly remembered her friend, Hana, early from The Academy. Sakura’s eyes got wide as she recalled what had happened with a newer and more truthful perspective. Her friend had gone to the front to speak to their sensei after the lesson was over. Sakura remembered the girl crying during class, but she had refused to talk to anyone. Word still got out that she had a conversation with sensei after _that_ lesson and the rumors spread. A few days later she was gone. The girl had told Sakura she was going on vacation ‘to go get help’ and Sakura naively believed her at that time. It now occurred to her that something much more serious was going on in Konoha that was hidden beneath the greatness and prosperity of the village.

_If they took him away, I don’t know what I would do. Even if he is a… a…_

She couldn’t bring herself to say the words which would confirm a truth she didn't want to acknowledge. 

She vowed to never tell a soul about what she had seen. She just wanted to protect her team and even if Sasuke didn’t want her, she still had feelings for him. The reality of the situation began to set in, and tears began to roll down her cheeks. She really did care for Sasuke and wanted what was best for him. If Naruto did that for him and If it made him happy then it was worth it. She would have to find someone else someday. The idea made her sob. She had already pictured herself marrying Sasuke over and over in her head. He was so perfect. It just wasn’t fair. She dismissed the rabbit hole of thoughts she had gone down and tried to rationalize that what she had seen was probably nothing and she would go about her life as normal. She would not bring it up to anyone.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sleeping in too much would not be an option. Team 7 had a dangerous mission ahead of them. Sasuke opened his eyes and immediately pulled himself up. He began his usual morning routine and then suddenly stopped dead in his tracks as the reality of what had happened the night before hit him.

_I actually kissed him last night... and he kissed me back._

He blinked a few times as he felt the incredibly wonderful feeling take over him. It was so hard to resist. 

They had made it home last night and had managed not to wake anyone. Naruto had been so exhausted. He could barely speak and fell asleep almost the second Sasuke laid him down. He had removed his headband and kissed his forehead one last time before leaving him to sleep. That was it, he told himself, no more selfish indulgence.

He tried to distract himself from his now incredibly intense feelings and finished getting ready. He descended the stairs to find Kakashi-sensei and Sakura at the table. Tazuna was nice enough to be making them breakfast. Naruto had not come down just yet, but when he did, Sasuke’s eyes were on him. He still looked exhausted and meandered over to the table across from Sasuke and put his head in his arms. He was far too tired to be his usual, loud self. Sasuke studied the blonde for a few more moments before turning back to his food.

_That was it._

Sakura’s inner voice was shrieking about the way Sasuke had just looked at Naruto. Now that she knew, the glances, or rather stares, became much more apparent. He had never looked at her like that or any other girl in their class. They would now have to go on and complete their mission, all of them holding a seemingly terrible secret.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Fog covered the bridge that Team 7 had found themselves on during a desperate battle between Zabuza and Haku. Kakashi had been fighting Zabuza while Sakura guarded Tazuna from any stray attacks. Sasuke and Naruto were trapped inside Haku’s specialty bloodline jutsu and were surrounded by icy mirrors each with Haku’s daunting image. Naruto had stupidly followed Sasuke inside trying to rescue him only to end up putting them both in danger. The two had long thick needles protruding from their skin in various locations from Haku’s incessant attacks. They were both at the end of their rope and losing options.

Another sharp attack came flying at them with lightning speed. Sasuke grabbed Naruto and tackled him out of the way. He was beginning to be able to read Haku’s movements using his Sharingan. Haku had been studying the two the entire time and realized that although Sasuke had been getting better at avoiding his attacks, the blonde that he held precious to him was not. Haku suddenly went for Naruto directly. Sasuke watched in terror as Haku lunged at Naruto. He began to run in Naruto’s direction without thinking and made it in time at a great cost. Naruto drearily opened his eyes and looked up to see Sasuke standing in front of him, bleeding, and trembling from the onslaught of fresh needles.

“You always get in the way…” He said, breathing heavily as he looked back at Naruto to make sure he was okay.

His mind had become fuzzy and he felt faint. He cursed himself mentally.

_Why did I do that? Did I just ruin everything... for him?_

“Sasuke.. you…” Naruto was happy at first to see Sasuke had saved him, but his happiness quickly turned to anxious concern which read clearly on his face.

“What’s with that face… dumbass.”

His voice was failing him as he let out the shaky words in between blood that was dripping from his bottom lip. Needles had penetrated his neck making it difficult to breath and talk.

“Why… why did you do that?” Naruto said, tears now forming at the corners of his eyes as the reality of Sasuke’s grave condition became apparent.

“My body just moved… I couldn’t watch you die.”

He could no longer hold his own weight and collapsed backward. Naruto acted quickly and caught him in his arms before he hit the concrete. He held him in his lap and put his arm behind his head and put his hand on Sasuke’s bloodied cheek. Haku just observed coldly.

“Sasuke, don’t! I never asked for your help!” Naruto said angrily with tears now pouring from his eyes. Sasuke ignored his emotional outburst.

“That man… my brother… I told myself I wouldn’t die… until I killed him. You better not die too” 

Sasuke closed his eyes and gave into the darkness and for a moment, he was happy. It was over. He stopped his labored breathing. Naruto stared down at Sasuke’s lifeless face.

“Come on… wake up! Wake up damn it!”

The tears began to flow relentlessly.

“…Please.” He said through sobs.

Sasuke’s bleeding body still felt lifeless and heavy and he could feel his skin getting cold. A surge of inhumane energy flooded his body and he let out an evil sounding wail as the nine-tails chakra crashed through the sealed barrier within him. A terrifying bloodlust could be felt within the icy walls as he carefully laid Sasuke on the ground and rose to face Haku.

“Is that your first death of a friend? It is the shinobi way.” Haku spoke flatly with little emotion. Naruto’s chakra was now escaping wildly from his body.

“SHUT UP!” He screamed at Haku with a voice that resonated across the bridge.

“I’m going to kill you.” He growled.

Haku had taken away the person who he held most precious to his heart and he would never forgive him. The only option now was revenge. 

The battle continued for another torturous thirty minutes as Sasuke laid lifeless on the bridge. Naruto had fought valiantly and nearly killed Haku for what he had done. He would have killed him too if Haku had let him. Haku, at the last moment had fled his fight and defended Zabuza from a final blow from Kakashi’s Chidori.

“Naruto! You’re alright!” Sakura said as she ran up him.

She had been excited to see him until she saw the harrowing expression of grief on Naruto’s face. Her face changed along with her tone to be completely serious.

“Where’s Sasuke?” She asked, her voice now low and serious.

He couldn’t bring himself to answer her, so he looked away as more tears began to form and drop from his eyes. Tazuna watched the interaction.

“Let’s go. That way you won’t be breaking your sensei’s orders.” Tazuna said as he led a fearful Sakura toward where Sasuke’s cold body laid lifeless.

Naruto tried to ignore her screams as the tears flowed. Sakura had draped herself over Sasuke’s body and was crying hysterically as Kakashi fought with Zabuza. She could not believe that this was happening. She had remembered her training that shinobi were not to show emotion, however, it seemed impossible in a situation like this. She could not fathom that someone whom she adored and kept so closely to her heart was just _gone._

“You’re heavy…” Sasuke said weakly.

She jumped up, shocked to hear Sasuke’s voice.

“You’re alive…” She began to sob again, this time from happiness and hugged him as tightly as the needles in his body would allow her to do.

“That hurts…” He winced. “Naruto… is he okay?”

Sakura stopped crying and let go of him so he could see her shake her head yes.

“What happened? … did he kill Haku?” He asked as he carefully tried to get up.

“Don’t move! No, but Kakashi did when Haku tried to stop Chidori from killing Zabuza.”

“I…see…” Sasuke breathed heavily as he sat himself up.

Everything was still very unclear.

“NARUTO! HE’S OKAY!” Sakura yelled at Naruto from across the bridge who came running up to them both.

The words brought him back from his temporary heart break and had given him back his hope. The sight of Sasuke’s eyes open had never been so incredible. He stopped short of the two on the bridge, but he desperately wanted to kiss Sasuke again in that moment. He resisted the urge and shifted his weight on his feet instead. 

“Haha… you really… had me going…” He said in between sniffles as now happy tears fell down his face.

Sasuke looked down.

_They really care about me this much… I almost died today because I care about them too. My purpose as an avenger was almost for nothing. Itachi almost got away with it today. These bonds will need to somehow be severed if I’m ever to be who I need to be._

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Two weeks after the fight with Zabuza and Haku had passed which gave Sasuke a chance to dwell further on how useless he had felt during the fight. The anger and frustration when Naruto tried to bring up the fight with Haku surged ruthlessly within him. Kakashi walked down the path between he and Naruto to avoid an all-out war. Sasuke had been picking fights the last two weeks partially as a way to prove to himself that he was still superior. It had also been to pick away at whatever _feelings_ still lingered prominently. It was working, slowly.

“I said shut the fuck up!” Sasuke sneered.

Naruto had been talking about how awesome he felt about the fight the entire way home. It was infuriating. He was far too cocky and not to mention, _Sasuke felt inferior._ He could not comprehend how could he have lost that easily during one of his first major missions. He would have died if Haku had really intended to kill him, but instead, Haku had gone easy on him. Naruto clearly had not gone easy on Haku because when he awoke again, both Zabuza and Haku had died. Where did this incredible source of strength come from? If _Naruto_ was stronger than him, he would never be strong enough to kill Itachi.

“HEY, don’t be an asshole!” Naruto growled back.

Both of them made eye contact and stared with fiery anger only to feel a hand on top of both of their heads.

“Children. Please.” Kakashi pleaded.

He guessed that any... _friendship..._ that had finally been kindling between the two had faded by now. They were young, after all. 

Sasuke brushed Kakashi’s hand away and folded his arms. He broke eye contact with Naruto and looked away which was Kakashi’s original intention.

“He’s the one rubbing shit in my face and I’m no child!” Sasuke protested sounding much more childlike than he had intended.

“What, I can’t talk about something cool I did!? You’re cool all the time Sasuke, you wouldn’t understand!” 

Sasuke’s eyes shot daggers in Naruto’s direction.

“You’re the one that doesn’t understand!”

“So, explain it and stop being a douche!”

Naruto was quick with his retorts. He was used to people putting him down – especially Sasuke, but the thought of that one night in the forest changing anything was quickly flying out the window.

Sasuke turned, fist clenched. His head brimmed with burning anger. 

_I'm just going to fucking fight him._

“KNOCK IT OFF!” Sakura’s voice boomed from behind them.

All three of them froze and turned to see an enraged Sakura.

“You’re both acting like children. Now grow up and be quiet!”

She had almost lost Sasuke and they were arguing over these petty things. She could tell that her crush had been bothered immensely by the most recent battle. He was more irritable than his usual cool and cocky presentation.

Sasuke swiveled his head back to the road quickly, eager to ignore the fact that she was right.

“Tch.” Was all he could respond with.

“Pshhtuh!” Naruto mocked him from across the road.

Sasuke’s eye twitched and in that moment, he seriously wanted to hurt Naruto. The vein on his forehead felt like it was pulsing. Then, so quickly that Sasuke barely saw it happen, Kakashi flicked Naruto in the forehead in response to his mockery.

“Don’t make me put you in the ground.” Kakashi warned.

“OOOWWW..! Fine! I won’t talk to Sasuke anymore!” Declared Naruto.

“Well I won’t have a reason to talk to Naruto.” Grumbled Sasuke.

This was getting ridiculous. He had much more serious things to worry about. The Chunin exams would be soon, although a date had not been announced. He felt he was nowhere near ready especially since he was so weak against Haku. At this rate, Naruto would leave him in the dust. He was his rival and that was it. No more than a challenge to get to the next step. He needed to stop playing around. What had he been doing all this time?

_I’m such a fucking idiot._

The panic from the last few days had worn on Sasuke significantly. His fragile mind was beginning to crack, and he could feel it, but he refused to pay attention to it. If he kept chasing the brief and subtle moments of euphoria in all the wrong corners, he would lose sight of what really mattered in the end. His true purpose.

Naruto let his irritated thoughts swirl back and forth through his mind.

 _So freaking confusing._

His arms were crossed tightly, and his brows were furrowed as far as they could go. His mouth was locked in a pouting frown. His eyes looked in the opposite direction of Sasuke. He didn’t want to look at him at all anymore.

_One second, he’s all honest and open about all this intense stuff and then ever since the bridge, he’s been acting worse than he was ever before. I just don’t get it. And then he had to go and.. and kiss me... and then I kissed him._

He felt a pain in his heart as he realized Sasuke's nasty attitude hurt.

_If that’s how he’s going to be, then I’ll definitely beat him in our next battle to show him I don’t need him to like me either._

Beneath his outward anger, there was yet another wound trying desperately to heal in the blonde’s heart. He thought he had found something that only the two of them could share and Sasuke was ruining everything. Naruto still thought about the kiss frequently, but never spoke about it to respect Sasuke's wishes.

_It’s not even that big of a deal._

It was not like it was something they hadn’t done before, only this time it was on purpose. He thought about the feeling he had deep in his chest that night and color rushed to his cheeks. If it wasn’t a big deal, why did he feel so betrayed? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music This Chapter - Undertow, Warpaint
> 
> https://imgur.com/a/p7ribl9
> 
> He looked away to avoid being seen in such a condition. After several moments and no response, the torture of not knowing Sasuke’s facial expression became unbearable. He looked back over to witness a rare phenomenon. His friend’s usual scowl was replaced with a soft and dreamy guise, but it only lasted a moment. It was the first time Naruto realized how beautiful Sasuke was. The moonlight bounced off of his skin as leaves slowly drifted to the ground all around them. Naruto’s face was not becoming any cooler as confusing thoughts raced through his mind about his friend.


	7. Beautiful Flesh

Things had only progressively gotten worse between the two as they headed out to a new mission. Sasuke had felt himself grow pleasantly numb which was exactly what he had wanted. Even though he was emotionally dead, it did not stop the nightly terrors and intrusive thoughts that seemed to incessantly plague him once he was alone. The more he thought about how strong Naruto really was, the more his anger lead his thoughts. He needed to improve, but instead he had been assigned to bullshit missions. He had become hyper focused on his brother again as he allowed his heart to fill with hatred.

He would go through waves of desperately missing his family, even his brother. His mother, however, hurt a little more to think about. She had been his everything and he had loved her more than life itself. Sometimes tears would come thinking about it and sometimes he would feel too emotionally deceased to feel anything. He was doing this primarily for her, but also for his clan. He would never accomplish his goal at this rate. His brother was surely still infinitely stronger than him. He was lost in thought but was interrupted by a piercing glare. Naruto stared furiously at him.

_Why is he suddenly so worked up?_

Naruto was lost in a fantasy and felt no shame in staring at his subject.

_Sasuke was hurt on the ground, beaten from their enemies when suddenly, Naruto Uzumaki came to rescue him from peril. He fended off the enemy and then Sasuke acknowledged how awesome and attractive he really was again. Then, he would poke fun at him by saying “You’re so much trouble, Sasuke.”_

Fantasies like this always made Naruto feel a little better about himself. He had not quite figured out why Sasuke was the subject of such fantasies almost every time.

“THAT’S WHAT I WANT TO SAY!” He blurted.

Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi stared at him, confused. Kakashi broke the awkward silence, desperate to alleviate the constant conflict between his _children_. They could hardly be called a team anymore.

“Alright, you say that, then… Let’s go, we have a mission.” 

“HELL YES!” the blonde screamed at the top of his small lungs.

“Shut up, you have been so annoying!”

Sakura was already on edge because of her team’s constant bickering and was now sure that it was something Naruto must have done to piss off Sasuke.

They completed another tediously boring mission which was useless to actual strength training – walking dogs, pulling weeds, and doing various helpful acts around the village. Naruto still took it seriously and put his all into beating the taunting Uchiha. Regardless of his efforts, he still managed to ruin it for the rest of his team. They had received a formal complaint from one of the villagers who had hired them. This infuriated Sasuke even more knowing that going on a real mission might cause Naruto to get them killed. He needed to distance himself from that completely, but when Naruto fell, he couldn’t help but catch him anyway _._

Regardless of Sasuke’s close eye on the blonde, he couldn’t watch him all the time. Naruto had screwed up again and had twisted his ankle and possibly strained a rib or two from falling out of a tree. He was about to help him home by himself again, but then Sakura picked up his other arm and together they carried him.

“Naruto, you really shouldn’t be so ambitious.” Sakura spoke calmly with understanding in her voice.

It surprised Sasuke. He was sure she would have been angry at him, but at this point she might have just felt bad for him.

“Um.. I know.” He paused for a moment. “I just want to make sure that I train the hardest I can! ‘Sides everyone is always riding my ass about this stuff. I’m not hurting anyone, am I?!...ouch!”

Raising his voice had caused him to remember that his body was in pain.

“Well, it’s because you’re so reckless.” She tried to reason with him, but he was a difficult person to reason with at times.

“You’re just always trouble for us.” Sasuke boasted with a sly smirk on his face.

He saw an opportunity to push the blonde’s buttons and didn’t hesitate to take it.

_God damn it Sasuke. I was getting somewhere._

She didn’t really want to admit it to herself, but her crush was almost as annoying as Naruto was right now.

Naruto pushed both of them off and stood on his own showing that he had not _needed_ the help he was getting but he sure as hell didn’t mind it. At least up until Sasuke had decided to be a dick to him _again._ His face contorted into an expression exhibiting petty rage.

“SAAAZZUKEEEE!!”

He wanted to fight him. Now. Just as he was about to tackle his teammate, an arm separated them. Sakura had had enough. Sasuke rolled his eyes and began to walk away.

“I am so sick of your shit, Naruto. You’re always making it about you.” Sakura snarled.

Naruto looked up to her, so the words hit him in the gut. It wasn’t his fault Sasuke was acting like this and he did not understand why Sakura could not realize it was Sasuke’s fault. _He_ was the one being moody and confrontational this whole time. His thoughts swirled with irritation.

_So, I speak up a little bit when Sasuke is being a complete ass and she just chooses to ignore anything bad he says!?_

“Sasuke, you’re the one to blame for our bad teamwork, not me! You’re the one making it about you!”

Naruto didn’t care that he was in front of Sakura and Kakashi-Sensei. Sasuke was being rude to him for no reason and it wasn’t fair that no one acknowledged it.

“That would be you, idiot,” he said passively.

_He’s really doing this right now._

He knew he had been cold to the blonde but did not realize Naruto would take it this far. He was hoping Naruto would eventually just dismiss him all together. It would be easier that way. He turned and looked at the blonde to make sure he knew he was being serious.

“If you really want me to stop saving you, then you have to get stronger than me.” 

Naruto just stared at him; teeth clenched. They locked eyes and held their gaze for several moments. Kakashi felt the tension in the air and he wanted nothing to do with it. Not today. They would kill each other if he didn’t say something. 

“Well, then.” Kakashi severed the silence. “Maybe it’s time we went home for the day. I do need to submit a report about this mission.”

Sasuke jumped on the opportunity to get away from his god-awful team.

“Then I’m going home.”

“Wait, Sasuke!”

Sakura also saw an opportunity and ran to catch up with him. This was her chance to be alone with him. Maybe she still had a shot at getting him to like her.

“I was thinking that maybe w-we could train… together.”

She felt her face get hot, thinking about a sweaty and dirt covered Sasuke alone with her. 

Naruto watched one of his crushes try to go on a date with the other. He felt like the worst 3rd wheel ever. They began to walk away, and his heart broke a little.

Sasuke cringed when he heard Sakura call after him. Despite him thinking she was annoying and incessant, he still struggled with hurting her feelings. Today, however, he was already in a terrible mood and knew he would eventually need to push her away too, so why not now?

“You’re just like Naruto.” He said rudely.

Sakura’s face fell. He knew that wouldn’t be enough damage.

“If you have time to practice with me, maybe you could learn something like a jutsu. You’re even weaker than he is.”

That should have done enough.

 _Now I can go._

His very public slaughter of her psyche crushed her beneath its weight. Her thoughts swam with negativity. She really was useless though, wasn’t she? When had she ever done something productive to help her team? She fought back the tears trying to surface.

_He must really dislike me to say something like that in that way._

She mentally vowed to get stronger from this point forward as could not be left in the dust. She would only be able to date him if she could impress him, so she had to try. The rejection that happened was to be expected. Naruto had almost enjoyed watching Sasuke continuously turn her down, knowing what he knew. It was kind of sick, but Sasuke would never like her, but he couldn’t _tell_ her that. Maybe, just maybe, he could get her to train with him instead.

“Hey Sakura, come train with me instead!” he cheered.

Kakashi couldn’t believe he would say something so stupid after she had just been brutally rejected and decided to get the hell out of there before Sakura exhibited her wrath. He was gone in an instant.

Normally, violence made sense to Sakura as a means of teaching Naruto a lesson. In this moment, however, she realized that hurting Naruto would not change what had just happened or make her feel any better. She was mortified. She did not respond and wiped the tears around her eyes. As she was composing herself, she heard some commotion happening behind her. Konohamaru, the Hokage’s grandson, and his two friends had shown up. She stood there and listened with her back facing away from them to Naruto adorably talk to the little kids. They all really looked up to him for some reason and she could tell that he secretly loved it.

_You’re not all bad, Naruto._

Her thoughts were interrupted by Konohamaru’s scream. She whipped her head around to see a strange ninja she had never met before was holding Konohamaru by his clothing several feet off the ground. Another ninja she had never seen before stood behind him. This was bad. There were two of them and all she had was Naruto and a few kids.

_Shit. We need help._

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Gaara had only just arrived in the Hidden Leaf and was desperately trying to rest. His body was heavily fatigued. Sleep had only come to curse him for a few hours the night before and it was filled with noise from the monster trapped inside him. As he would fall asleep, the demon would erratically try to escape and would pound against the seal which kept him at bay. He would wail and cackle like a crazed animal in a cage. It was torture, but Gaara was used to it. He had never known any different. Only that he was always exhausted and that was not normal for everyone. His short red hair, pale eyes with dark circles, and the kanji love that had been scarred deeply into his forehead represented that he was the Jinchūriki of Suna, The Hidden Village of the Sand. He contained the demon Shukaku within his small body.

As he relaxed more, the demon began to squeal and push against the seal even if he wasn’t yet asleep. It had been especially active ever since he had arrived in Konoha. Gaara furrowed the muscles on his hairless brow.

_I’ll kill you too someday._

He picked up a kunai from his bag and held it out in front of his chest for a moment before plummeting it inward toward his own heart, but it was stopped dead in its tracks. Sand had formed in front of his chest and had hardened to prevent the blade from penetrating his skin as it always did. He had never bled before since the demon feared that his fragile vessel would somehow die. It did, however, love watching humans die, but this human would need to live for him to eventually escape. 

_“HEHEHEH,”_ the demon cackled. _“YYYOUUUUU!? KILL ME?! HAH! HAHAHAH! You’re WEAK. You’re NOTHING without me. It’s almost time for me to come out to kill YOU.”_

This was a game that he and his demon played often. Both recognized that if Shukaku was ever to be ripped from his body, that they would both surely die.

He ignored the taunts and threats which happened so frequently and opened his eyes which put the demon back to rest in its cage – at least for now. He would need to go check on his siblings soon to make sure they weren’t doing anything stupid. He did not want to deal with any backlash from his bastard father. They had left to explore the village about 30 minutes prior and they would need to register for the Chunin exams today. He had been assigned a mission, but he didn’t care about that. His shitty sensei didn’t care about him either so why should he care? He was here with one thing in mind. He wanted to see blood.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Naruto and Sakura watched horrified as the larger ninja picked up Konohamaru by the clothing around his neck. The older boy had a painted his face and was wearing all black with some kind of hairy thing tied to his back. It smelled bitter, like almonds that had been roasted for too long. Naruto ran and tried to attack, but soon found his feet being ripped from beneath him by the older boy’s chakra strings. Sakura watched in horror at the scene.

“You leaf Genin are weaker than I had originally thought.” The boy sneered.

Naruto was trembling with anger.

_Who the hell is this guy to do that to a kid? Where did he come from?_

“Hey, let go of him now or I will never forgive you, asshole!” Naruto yelled, trying to distract the the stranger from Konohamaru.

Sakura listened in horror as he spoke bigger words than he could back. She grabbed him to silence him.

“You’re the one being stupid right now.” The boy said casually with a smirk on his face.

Naruto was about to protest but noticed the sinister gaze from the foreigner along with the intimidating glare of the older blonde girl who was with him. The newcomer stared down at Naruto hard. He really didn’t like being bossed around by kids. He already had to do whatever his psychotic 12-year-old little brother Gaara wanted or risk death. He wouldn’t listen to any other little kid.

“You’re making me want to break him in half.” He sneered.

“It’s not on me.”

The other ninja had not spoken until this point. She was also an unfamiliar face obviously not from Konoha. She wielded an impressively huge weapon which sat on her back. Her stature and demeanor screamed confidence.

The painted ninja lifted his fist, about to punch the child square in the face when suddenly he felt a sharp pain in the hand holding Konohamaru. He dropped the boy and noticed a gash on his right hand followed by the subtle noises of a stone hitting the ground. He turned to see Sasuke observing them from the tree who had expertly thrown a rock directly at his hand. 

Naruto was grateful Konohamaru was safe, but he still felt bitter.

 _Shit, Sasuke looks so cool._ _I let people down again… and he stole the show._

He heard Sakura and Konohamaru cheering for the Uchiha and felt even worse. The older boy ripped off the person sized creature from his back.

“Little punks like you piss me off the most.”

“Wait, you’re not really using crow, are you?”

The other ninja with him suddenly was concerned and was amazed at her comrade’s stupidity for breaking out a weapon like that to start a street fight. A deep and chilling voice growled from the right of Sasuke on the other side of the tree he was perched in.

“Kankuro.. stop.”

Shivers shot up Sasuke’s spine. He was caught completely off guard.

_When did he get here?_

“You’re an embarrassment to our village.”

Gaara reveled in calling out anyone else who may be seen badly by Suna even if it was his own brother. It was nice to hold the hatred of the village against someone else. It made him feel a little less alone. He had known that Kankuro could not control his temper. Especially because he had forced him to submit to everything he said the past few days which infuriated his older brother. He would kill him if he disobeyed. 

He assessed the situation quickly and decided to pull his older siblings away from the problem. He would need to keep a closer eye on them moving forward. He looked at Sasuke and studied him for a moment, impressed that he had managed to injure Kankuro.

_Aren’t you a beautiful piece of flesh just waiting for me to destroy?_

Sasuke met his gaze only for Gaara to break it. He looked back to his brother.

“Why do you think we came to this village?” Gaara drawled.

His voice was steady and a little horse from lack of sleep.

“G-Gaara.” Kankuro nervously greeted him. “Please listen to me, Gaara. Th-they lashed out first.”

“Shut up... or I’ll kill you.” Gaara snarled.

Kankuro had begun to sweat.

“U-Understood. I was wrong. Sorry…I’m really sorry.” Kankuro stammered.

Gaara looked back at the boy next to him. This was definitely the same Sasuke that his sensei had shown him prior to their departure. He decided he would be polite this time especially to someone so nice looking. He would get his chance eventually.

_I’ll eat you alive._

“I’m sorry about my brother.” He stated plainly to Sasuke.

Sasuke could feel something wrong about this guy. There was a dark aura that emulated from him and why was he staring at him like that? He was tiny too, smaller than Naruto, but something about him really made Sasuke on edge.

Gaara studied the Uchiha for an uncomfortable amount of time. He noticed that his clothes were clean and ironed, his hair was brushed nicely, and his nails were clean. Not to mention, he was good. He was able to hit Kankuro with a rock. Either Kankuro was having a very off day or he was just that skillful. He bet on the latter. The Uchiha would be an exceptional opponent.

_Is he… like me?_

Most of all he had noticed Sasuke’s beautifully flawless skin. He immediately wanted to see it break and bleed. His hunger for bloodshed grew. It had been too long. Sasuke had noticed the eerie stare and shot him a look that said _why the fuck are you staring at me?_

“You’re not fooling anyone.” Gaara remarked in a monotone, lifeless voice.

His words were only meant to upset the Uchiha. It had not been blatantly obvious but Gaara could almost smell it on him. 

Sasuke became even more uncomfortable.

_What the hell was he talking about? He doesn’t mean… no.. no way._

Gaara smirked. He finally broke his gaze and transported himself to the ground. As he did so, the demon suddenly began to make noise, loudly. He flinched.

 _“THAT’S HIM THAT’S HIM THAT’S HIM_.” It shrieked as if it was inside his ear. _“THAT LITTLE BLONDE BRAT. YOU BETTER KILL HIM NOW.”_

Gaara winced at the annoying voice in his head. That blonde kid seemed like nothing special. Shukaku was just being particularly deviant lately. He needed to get back to where they were staying quickly to calm it.

“Let’s go.”

He began to walk away while his siblings followed.

“Wait!”

Sakura finally found the courage to confront them. She would do what was right and not to mention, she felt safe with Sasuke there to protect her.

“The Sand Village and the Land of Fire are allies, but our treaty says you can’t just come here casually. State your business.” Demanded Sakura.

Naruto thought she was really brave for speaking up, although, his fear of something happening to them because of it hadn’t diminished. 

The tall blonde ninja pulled something out of her bag and showed it to Sakura.

“My permit.” She said with a surprisingly endearing smile. “We’re here to take the Chunin exams. Didn’t they tell you it’s in a week? You guys really don’t know anything do you?”

The sand Genin began to retreat again. Team 7 received a collective shock from the news. They had assumed they had more time. Sasuke snapped out of his bewilderment and decided to at least get the name of the guy who had caused him so much panic in the last few minutes. He jumped to the ground near Sakura.

“Hey, you there!” Sasuke yelled after them.

The tall blonde girl turned immediately.

“Me?” she asked hopefully.

She had thought Sasuke was handsome and she did not have any qualms with being friendly with a boy from another village, but Gaara already knew Sasuke was speaking to him.

“N-No! The one with the gourd.”

Sasuke was so tired of girls always wanting his attention.

“I’m Gaara of the Desert.” He replied calmly. “I’m interested in you too. What’s your name?”

He had to pretend like he knew nothing about Sasuke, but he knew a little too much.

“Sasuke Uchiha.”

They locked eyes again. Sasuke taken aback by the bluntness of this boy and from the looks of it, he usually got what he wanted. His own brother was terrified of him. 

“W-What about me!?” Naruto had watched the entire thing and seeing his rival pay attention to someone else who also did not acknowledge him was infuriating. He had a lot to offer, after all.

“Not interested.”

Gaara dismissed him immediately and then turned to leave to avoid awakening his inner demon again. It did not usually go after one person so vehemently, but Gaara did not want to do everything the demon wanted. Naruto’s heart sank again. He really did have some intense training to do if he was going to be noticed by his competition.


	8. Curse

The Chunin Exams proved to be different than what any of Team 7 had expected, but they had passed the first part of the exam. Naruto was still not entirely sure how he managed to pass since he had not written a thing on the exam. Now, they would be faced with a new challenge deep in the Forest of Death. They were given the rules that each team needed a heaven scroll and an earth scroll once they reached their destination deep within the forest. They would only be given one and would have to battle other teams to obtain the other.

The forest spread out over hundreds of acres and had a haunted aura. Naruto felt uneasy about this challenge but would do whatever it took to become stronger and eventually become Hokage. He suddenly heard their instructor, Anko, begin to describe their challenge. She made it seem like it would be this terrible thing, but he was sure he would be able to handle anything she threw at him. He was not afraid.

“Those stupid things won’t scare me. I’m going to make it through just fine!” He proclaimed for most of the exam takers to hear.

“Hm. You’re a loud-mouthed punk, aren’t you?”

With one swift motion, she threw a kunai through the crowd with incredible precision. The blade nicked Naruto’s cheek causing him to bleed down the side of his face and nearly cut the woman who had been standing behind him. In an instant, Anko was behind him too.

“It’s shits like you that die in there first you know.” She whispered in his ear.

Naruto felt the shivers move up and down his spine and stood frozen. She put her other hand on his face and began to slowly wipe the blood from his wound. She suddenly pulled another kunai as a strange woman had returned her initial kunai with _her incredibly long tongue_ over Anko’s shoulder _._

“Well don’t just sneak up on me like that, with all of your blood lust unless you want to die a quick death!” Anko exclaimed cheerfully.

“My apologies, I just got excited because you damaged my precious hair. I just wanted to return your weapon.”

The creepy woman smirked and backed away once Anko took her kunai back.

“Thank you very much!”

Meanwhile, Naruto trembled in disgust as he watched the woman’s tongue retreat back into her mouth. It was _horrible._ He stuck out his own tongue to see how far it would go and could not comprehend that someone was able to train their tongue to do _that._ Sasuke and Sakura had watched the entire interaction with eyes wide. They breathed a sigh of relief once the interaction was over. The reality of what they were dealing with was setting in. Naruto was almost definitely a liability in their eyes. 

Finally, they were ready for the teams to enter the forest together. Naruto was still boastfully confident despite the earlier interaction. They had their share of initial fights with the weaker ninja that had entered the exam and escaped successfully with their scroll. Sasuke’s brilliance had been their saving grace up until that point. He had recognized it immediately when someone had attempted to pose as Naruto. He had memorized every detail of his... teammate... who was only his teammate and nothing else. They had convened together to plan on how to proceed to make sure it didn't happen again. What Naruto did not realize was that they were being watched. 

A violent explosion followed by a blast of wind came down on all of them. They all jumped to safety to avoid being crushed. Sakura had run further back, but quickly met up with Sasuke again. His voice was panicked. He was worried about the now missing Naruto. 

“What’s the password?” 

Sakura quickly provided the statement they had agreed on. Naruto then came from the nearby forest brush. 

“Password?”

He stared at the blonde, unsure if he had been a clone. This one was better than the last if he was. Naruto smiled and said the password perfectly.

_Red flag._

Sasuke instantly attacked knowing full-well that Naruto would never have been able to memorize the password with such ease. The creepy woman with the tongue revealed herself.

“Very intuitive, Sasuke.” The woman’s voice made Sasuke’s skin crawl. “You are pretty smart for prey. Worthy of my attention at least.”

Before he could recognize what was happening, Sasuke was on the ground and a kunai had penetrated through his head band and inside of his skull.

_This is it. I'm dying._

Death had found its harrowing way to him despite his desperate attempt to crawl his way back out from underneath it. He felt the warm blood flow down his face. His body could no longer move. The blood just kept coming.

_Why haven't I lost consciousness?_

The thought finally occurred to him that this was genjutsu. Fear still grasped his body tightly and moving seemed almost impossible, but he had to try. He managed to grab a kunai out of his pack and plummeted the blade through his thigh. The pain was incredible, but it snapped him out of the illusion. The effects of the genjutsu suddenly reversed and he found himself getting sick uncontrollably as his mind readjusted to reality. He was still paralyzed with fear when the woman began racing toward him like a hungry snake on a log. He had to move, but he couldn’t.

_Am I still under genjutsu?_

He told his feet to do something, but they didn’t. Forceful memories of his past trauma surfaced in his brain as he accepted was going to die there yet again. He closed his eyes and flinched for the impact, when suddenly several shuriken flew through the air, almost through the woman’s head had she not dodged the attack expertly and stepped back.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The forest echoed with harrowing sounds of creatures not yet discovered. Naruto slowly opened his eyes to find himself upside down against a tree.

_Ouch. What happened? Where’s Sakura? And fucking Sasuke…_

The last thing he remembered was finishing up his piss followed by sudden stars. He came to and pulled himself upright and zipped up his fly. When he looked up, his eyes met with a terrifying creature of the forest. A gigantic viper eyed him before it instantly swallowed him with one easy bite. The stomach acid began to burn his skin and he slid down the snake’s mouth.

_T_ _hink THINK! How are you getting out of this!? How do I make it throw up!?_

He remembered how he and Sasuke had gotten so competitive that even when eating, it was about who ate more which had inevitably caused them both to vomit.

_That’s it!_

He summoned as many shadow clones as he could which caused the snakes belly to swell and then explode from the pressure.

“FUCK YOU, STUPID SNAKE!” He screamed as he went back to look for his team.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The woman sounded impressed as she looked up at Naruto who had saved Sasuke from her first attempt to leave her mark on him.

“So, I see you escaped my pet.”

“Naruto! Get out of here while you still can!” Sasuke screamed at him in hopes that he would somehow listen and run.

He was certain the woman was going to kill them all unless he did something. He turned to the woman again with the scroll in his hand, hoping that she would take it and leave them be.

“Here, take this.” 

“Sasuke, what the hell are you doing!?” Naruto screamed back at him from the higher location in the tree that he had appeared.

“Hnhnhn, Oh, Sasuke, you poor innocent child. Using another kind of food to distract your predator, huh?” Replied the creepy woman. “You are quite the little treat, aren’t you?”

Sasuke shuddered and reached his arm back to throw the scroll at the woman, hoping that by giving the scroll away, this would finally be over. He threw it at the woman only for it to be caught by Naruto who had jumped down in time to catch it. 

“What the fuck are you doing, you bastard? Do you understand the situation at all!?” Sasuke screamed, terrified that they now had no chance for escape.

Suddenly, the lights around him went out for a moment as Naruto landed a right hook into Sasuke’s cheek. Sasuke’s body flew a few feet and landed hard.

“You must not be the real Sasuke, because the Sasuke I know would never talk like such a pussy.” Naruto growled.

“I am Sasuke, you idiot!” He screamed back. 

“I don’t believe you! The Sasuke I know wouldn’t back down. You’re the one who’s way to freaked out to understand the situation. Where’s the guarantee that giving this asshole the scroll is going to make her let us go?”

It was so unlike Sasuke to back down or rather, it was unlike the version of himself he wanted people to see. Naruto knew him to the point where he started to notice his two sides. One side was a cool and calm shinobi capable of incredible things. He was an Uchiha, a feared clan by many with gifted abilities. The other, a terrified and traumatized boy hidden beneath layers of protection. 

_I will protect you, Sasuke. Don't worry._

“Hehehe, you’re right. I could just kill you and take the scroll.” The woman interrupted followed by a bite to her hand to draw blood.

She used the symbol on her arm to summon an enormous snake, much larger than the one that had swallowed Naruto. Sasuke looked on in horror. He was certain that he was about to watch Naruto die and then he and Sakura would be next.

_This fucking idiot._

He felt incredibly panicked. His thoughts were not happening in order.

“NO! RUN AWAY NARUTO. PLEASE!” He screamed again.

He could not bear to see that happen. He would rather die first.

“I’m disappointed in you, Sasuke.”

Naruto spoke with confidence even though he had no idea how to combat the enemy before him. He was disappointed. Sasuke was supposed to be his rival who was eons ahead of him and today he proved otherwise. He jumped, ready to attack, but the huge snake hit him _hard_ with its enormous tail from behind _._ His body was sent flying. The physical trauma caused the demon inside him to trigger and come alive.

“NARUTO!!” Sasuke and Sakura screamed simultaneously.

Sasuke thought he might die just from how hard his heart was beating.

_No. No, please don’t be dead. Please be alive please be alive please be alive._

Sasuke watched his small body fall through the air and began to accept that his own death would happen within moments, but instead, he witnessed the impossible. An incredible amount of energy exploded from above. He recovered from the hit mid-air in time to land a devastating punch right to the snake’s nose.

“EAT SHIT!” He screamed.

His pupils had grown into slits and glowed a dark red hue. The woman watched in awe as her creature suffered a massive blow to its scaly face.

He tried to land near his team but was blown by a wind jutsu coming from the woman into another tree. The woman took the opportunity to go after Sasuke and Sakura, but Naruto was faster and blocked her way yet again by pushing the snake back with the raging chakra which was now escaping his tiny body. His feet were pressed into the thick branch of the tree from the impact of the snake. His team stared at him with amazement and horror.

_How could he be this strong?_

“Hey, you alright? Scaredy-cat?”

Naruto repeated the words that Sasuke had said to him during their last big mission out of the village. It was a perfect time to throw it back in his face. Finally, he was the one acting cool. Sasuke’s eyes were wide as he observed Naruto who did not look like himself. His eyes were different, and his teeth were different. Power emulated from his body that he had never felt before. He stared in awe as he realized that _this_ was the reason why the village had feared him. 

_That has to be coming from whatever the actual fuck is inside him._

The woman seized the opportunity of Naruto looking away to entangle him in her disgusting tongue.

“Damn it! Let go of me!” He screamed.

The tongue was wrapping around his body and it was _going up his shirt._ Naruto squirmed in discomfort but could not stop it from happening. The slimy tongue rolled up his belly to just below his chest, bringing his jacket and shirt up in the process to reveal his Jinchūriki seal, now clearly visible. Even with all his additional strength, he could not move. His team watched in horror as the woman inspected the visible seal on the boy’s belly and did _something_ to it causing Naruto to pass out. Once she was finished, she nonchalantly dropped him. Sakura moved on instinct, her precise aim and training came into play when she sent a kunai directly through Naruto’s clothing and into the tree behind him to keep his body from hitting the ground at this height.

“Sasuke, Naruto might be clumsy and can get in the way at times, but he isn’t a coward, and neither are you. We have to do something!” Sakura finally was able to snap Sasuke out of his daze.

Sasuke was finally able to move again. The first time he had been called a coward had been from his brother who had told him to live in fear only to grow and kill him. He would do something now, even if it did mean he was going to die. Fuck whatever Itachi wanted for him. If he couldn’t risk his life and be brave, how could he ever expect to kill Itachi? He pulled as many kunai out as he could from his bag and activated his Sharingan. The adrenaline had finally allowed him to _see._ With that, he came after the woman full force. This time was different. He could read the movements happening before him and _he was keeping up._ The battle was so fast that Sakura had difficulty following both of them. Sasuke then managed to trap the woman by using the strings on his kunai followed by the Uchiha Fire Style justu, hurling a huge ball of flames at the woman.

_Y_ _es!_

He thought he had finally caught her.

“I had fun testing your powers.” The woman spoke, but the skin on her face did not look the same.

It was peeling off and falling to the ground to reveal another face behind it.

“Sasuke, you really are just like him, you know. Your brother, Itachi.”

Sasuke looked over at the woman in horror. He suddenly couldn’t move again.

_Damn it._

Her voice had changed and was now deeper, raspier. He thought they now sounded more like a man, but he was not sure what to make of it.

“W-who are you!?” Sasuke demanded.

How did this person know about Itachi? Why did they know so much about him? It was incredibly disconcerting. 

“My name is Orochimaru. If you want to see me again, pass this exam.” He said dryly, looking directly at Sasuke.

“Like we would ever _want_ to see you again!” Sakura retorted with the fire that was left in her.

“Heheh... we will see about that.”

Orochimaru did a hand sign that Sasuke had never seen before and the neck of the monster before him began to get longer, slithering directly toward him with fangs bared. Sasuke panicked and tried desperately to move, but it was too late. It was biting him _hard on the neck._ Whatever was being pumped in his body felt like lava in his veins. He screamed at the top of his lungs and the pain began to enter all throughout every corner of his body. All he could do was scream. He felt Sakura trying to comfort him, but his head was white with pain and her voice was silenced by his own uncontrollable cries. It was pure and unrelentless agony. 

“What did you do to him!?” Sakura cried.

She had never heard anyone scream like that before. It had been the sound of real pain and it terrified her. It was ominous, especially coming from Sasuke.

“I left him with a parting gift.” He sneered and chuckled as he disappeared into the woods yet again.

Sakura began to panic as she watched Sasuke writhe in pain. She turned toward Naruto.

“Naruto, Sasuke needs help!”

She hoped desperately that he would respond, but when he didn’t, the reality of her situation set in. The tears began to flow down her face as she realized she was alone in a terrifying forest with two of her teammates disabled. Sasuke screamed again.

_Shit._

He began gasping as his screams had prevented him from taking a breath.

There had been no way to tell how much time had passed. Sasuke’s pain seemed like it would never stop. He could now feel it within every inch of his body and he just wanted to die. It was excruciating. What seemed like an eternity was only about 60 seconds. Although the pain lessoned with each second, it still caused his muscles to twist from the terrible ripping sensation. The only thing tethering him to life was his intensely tight grasp in Sakura’s hand. It became too much to bear for his brain and he collapsed in her arms. He thought to himself that if he died, at least it would be in the arms of someone who cared for him.

“Sasuke… Sasuke look at me.”

Sakura was panicking. His eyes looked distant and unfocused. He had stopped screaming, but he had developed a sheen of sweat on his face and was fading into unconsciousness. She removed his headband and felt his forehead and surely enough he was intensely feverish. His cheeks were flushed, and his skin looked off. His eyes had rolled into the back of his head. 

“SASUKE! Come on! _Please_ don’t pass out!” she begged.

He tried to look at her, eyes half closed and made a pathetic failed attempt to talk. In another moment, he slumped over. His body could no longer handle the distress he had been under. Sakura slapped his face a few times, trying to get him to come to, but with no luck.

“FUCK!” she said under her breath, trying not to be too loud.

If they were discovered now, it would definitely all be over.

 _Think, Sakura._ _Get your shit together and think. Okay, you have two unconscious teammates. You need to find a place for them to recuperate._

She picked up Sasuke and threw him over her shoulder and used chakra to jump to the tree that Naruto hung from. She carefully placed body below him before removing the kunai with her mouth so that he would fall into her other arm. The weight of them was incredibly heavy but this was exactly the type of thing she had trained for. She ran down to the bottom of the tree and took the most hidden path she could. She eventually came across an enormous old tree which had had its roots ripped up. From the foliage around it, she could tell that it had been on its side for some time. The roots created a cave covered in green. This would have to do for now.

She laid them both down, breathing heavy from carrying both of them for about 20 minutes. She noticed that the part that monster had bit Sasuke had formed a dark, strangely shaped mark and that it had begun to give off a purple odorless smoke. She had no idea what it was and wanted to help but did not know what to do. She did all she could do medically for them. She sat quietly trying to calm her panicked mind to figure out what to do next.

_I should set a trap._

She spent the next hour preparing for any unwanted visitors. Now, she would just have to wait. She waited for what seemed like an eternity until the sun set, and she was alone in the densely dark forest. She had never been so terrified in her life. The jungle sounds taunted her, and the large insects and bugs caused her to squirm. A few times during the night, her body tried to force her to sleep, but she refused. Her mind was in survival mode now and sleeping was dangerous. She would rest, with her eyes closed until morning.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Exactly 20 leaves fell from the branches as Lee had jumped through them. He counted them one by one.

_If I can catch each of these 20 leaves, then Sakura will begin to finally like me!_

He had made several challenges for himself with the same stakes. Sometimes he would be able to fulfil them and sometimes he would fail. It was Lee’s way of pulling pedals from a flower to determine the love of another except he applied it to legitimately _everything_. He leapt through the air at amazing speeds and caught all but one leaf before he noticed a squirrel with a paper bomb on its back. He immediately dropped what he was doing to save the squirrel.

_Who would do such a horrific thing? Poor creature._

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Every twenty minutes or so Sakura would open her eyes in a panic, fearful that someone would come for them. Her fears were confirmed when three Hidden Sound ninjas appeared out of the woods looking hungry for a fight. She was tired, hungry, and alone with her team still completely unconscious.

“Heheh, Been here all night?” The one named Zaku called to her condescendingly. “Wake up that punk Sasuke. We want to fight him.”

“What the fuck do you want!? I know you’re working with Orochimaru to do something to him! …and what the hell is this mark on his neck!?” She demanded.

“Ohh ho ho! She’s FEISTY! I’m going to kill her and Sasuke.” Zaku’s tone turned dark.

They approached and Sakura’s trap was triggered causing an enormous log to come crashing down from the tops of the trees. The sound ninja destroyed it easily.

“Weak little bitch!” Zaku yelled as he ran to attack her.

She flinched, afraid that this would be her final moment before a lightning fast green blur blocked their attack and sent all three of them flying back.

“Don’t you dare talk to her like that!” Lee said as he stood in front of Team 7 in his battle stance with his rescue squirrel sitting on his shoulder.

_It’s that weird guy that was flirting with me at the Chunin exams!_

“My name is Rock Lee! The beautiful green beast of the Hidden Leaf!” He proclaimed loudly to the stunned sound ninja.

“Wh-why are you here?” She asked confused.

“I will always appear when you are in trouble, Sakura… and I will protect you until the day I die.” Lee said kindly.

She was touched by his chivalry. Sasuke had never said anything like that to her before. She was so tired that the sweet words caused tears to form in her eyes. Lee was giddy on the inside thinking he had sounded cool in front of his crush. Before he could revel in it for too long, Dosu, another one of the sound ninjas, sped toward Lee with an attack. Lee thought quickly and sent an impressive punch directly in the ground which caused the earth to explode beneath them and block Dosu’s attack.

 _He’s… so strong._ Sakura thought. _He’s a little dorky… okay maybe a lot dorky… but also kind of cute._

Lee attacked again, headstrong using his initial lotus attack which would have ended Dosu if it hadn’t been for Zaku softening the dirt beneath him using vibrations from his powerful sound wavelengths. Dosu recovered quickly and went after Lee, swinging at him only inches from his face. At first, Lee thought he had successfully dodged before his ear suddenly had blistering pain and blood began to drip from his ear as he collapsed onto the ground. Dosu went after him again, intending to kill his target.

“LEAVE HIM ALONE!” Sakura screamed as she threw her kunai at Dosu who easily blocked it using sound waves which made the kunai fall to the ground. She stared, stunned for a moment before she felt someone grab her hair tightly from behind.

“Look at this pretty fucking hair. All treated and nicer looking than mine. Looks like you don’t really take being a ninja seriously looking like this.” Kin, the third sound ninja, said with disgust in her voice.

“Let’s just kill them and get this over with.” She said coldly.

_I can’t let that happen._

Sakura panicked for a few moments before it occurred to her that she valued both Sasuke and Naruto’s life more than she could ever value the hair on her head. She took one of her razor-sharp kunai and cut her hair completely off in one fluid sweep to break free of Kin’s grip before plummeting her kunai in Kin’s stomach causing her to keel over and begin gasping as the sharp pain caused her to quickly begin to lose blood. Sakura acted quickly and rushed toward Zaku with additional kunais ready. Zaku attacked her but was met with a substitution. She came at him again and he attacked again – another substitution.

“THAT WON’T WORK YOU LITTLE CUNT!” He screamed, getting annoyed that this was already more difficult than he had imagined it to be.

She flew at him from above. He expected the same and threw three shuriken to try to make the substitution disappear, but instead, Sakura’s body took the blows of the sharp weapons. The unexpected approach gave her enough leeway to stab him in the arm with one of her kunai and bite him in the other.

“LET GO OF ME BITCH!”

He continued to yell as he beat her in the head until she was bloodied and bruised. She resolved to protect her team no matter what the cost.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sasuke saw himself back in his childhood home. His brother was standing before him.

_“If only you had the strength to save them.”_

He saw his young self, but the skin was peeling away with a yellow eye peering from behind his face. 

_Wake up.. wake up… WAKE UP!_

His eyes flew open and his mind was suddenly clear. He remembered the final moments before he had lost consciousness and immediately moved to check on his team. He was relieved to see Naruto beside him and Sakura who looked like she had just walked through a death trap. 

_What happened to her!?_

Her hair had been cut short jaggedly and she had a bruised and bleeding face. Her clothes had been torn in places.

_She was trying to protect Naruto and I..._

The rage inside him instantly exploded as the curse mark had spread throughout his body. His emotions were heightened. His body felt incredible like he could do anything.

_T_ _his is what Orochimaru was talking about... I feel incredible._

“Sasuke! You’re awake!”

Sakura had released her grip and had been shoved to the ground by Zaku. She had never been more relieved in her life to see Sasuke. She had a smile on her face until she realized that something wasn’t right.

_What is wrong with his skin?_

“Has he done this to you?” He spat with fire and hatred in his voice.

His Sharingan was already activated and shining brightly through his wide red eyes.

“We did.”

The cocky sound ninja spoke up, watching the spectacle before him. His teammate tried to warn him, sensing Orochimaru’s power surging through Sasuke’s veins, but it was too late. The Sound Ninja named Zaku went after Sasuke who reacted quickly. Their fight was brief, less than 30 seconds before Sasuke was already behind him. He hit Zaku with incredibly force.

_Yes. This is exactly what I have been needing. There’s nothing stopping me now from becoming who I need to be._

He walked over to Zaku who was now on the ground after the intense blow and grabbed his arms which were specially built for sound-based attacks and pulled them backwards.

“Are these the arms you care so much for?”

Sasuke spoke with an edge of psychosis with a grin on his face. This power was something he would never let go of. He felt himself go back to his darkest moments. What would he have done now if he had Itachi in this position? His grin faded and in a quick, jerking motion, he pulled Zaku’s arms from their sockets. It made a loud internal cracking sound followed by Zaku’s screams. He dropped the him and turned to the other sound ninjas who were now staring at him with fear.

“You’re the only one left.”

He turned to the last remaining sound ninja. The lone ninja had most of his face except his eye, but it showed every ounce of fear quaking through his body.

_No… no… this isn’t Sasuke._

Sakura watched, horrified as Sasuke had sadistically ruined the sound ninja who had hurt her. The curse mark had covered his body and his energy was completely different from what it usually was. She had to do something to bring him back to reality. She ran toward him as he was going for the other ninja, tears in her eyes. She reached around him and held him as tightly as she could.

“Please. Stop.”

She wept into his back shoulder. Sasuke had never had someone hug him from behind like that. He felt her arms around his waist and heard the tears in his voice. He began to feel regret for letting that monster’s power flow through him like that. He could feel it receding back into the mark on his neck. It hurt, but not nearly as bad as the bite itself had. Once the mark had fully disappeared, he felt his energy dissipate again and he collapsed. Sakura caught him again.

The other sound ninja watched as Sasuke was stopped by Sakura. After witnessing what he had done to his teammate, he knew he would be no chance against him. He set his scroll down.

“Please… take the scroll and let us leave.”

He was not certain they would allow him, but he needed to at least try.

“Wait, what did Orochimaru do to Sasuke!?” Sakura yelled desperately, still determine to reverse it somehow.

“I don’t know. All we were told was to kill Sasuke, but we have failed.”

The defeated sound ninjas left with haste as soon as they had the chance. The battle had been finished. Sakura had gained a new kind of respect for Lee and vehemently defended him whenever anyone had anything bad to say about him. She approached Lee who had been sitting with his teammate, Tenten.

“Um… Lee?” She asked timidly.

Tenten smirked.

“I’m gonna see what Neji is up to.”

Tenten left the two to talk off to the side of the clearing which was now severely scarred by battle.

“S-Sakura… I’m glad to see you’re alright. That Sasuke really stepped in and saved the day didn’t he… I’ve never seen anything like that.”

Lee spoke with a raw kind of humility that Sakura had never seen in someone before.

“Lee… I came over here to thank you. You were incredible… and without you, the three of us may not have made it. I owe you a lot for what you did for me back there.” She smiled softly at him.

A wild blush took over his entire face.

“Y-YES! I mean – ahh! Of course! I would protect you with my life!”

He spoke enthusiastically despite looking awful. She hated that she was comparing him to Sasuke but again it was true that Lee was much more expressive and honest about his feelings. It was so much easier to talk to him. A terrible thought occurred to her that perhaps the reason she had been so obsessed with Sasuke in the first place was partially because of his looks. The reality hit her hard that perhaps he had never truly appreciated her and here was this boy who saw her as incredibly beautiful. 

“I… appreciate you… and if we make it out of this alive… maybe we can go on that one date?”

She figured she at least owed him a chance. Lee’s face glowed brighter than a dragon’s treasure. He could not help but smile widely in excitement.

“Y-yeah! Uhh… Okay!”

He was speechless and hadn’t a clue what to do now that he actually had his first date promised to him. She saved him with a kiss on the cheek.

“Go back to your team. I’m going to check on mine too… and Lee?” She started to get up and then turned to face him again.

“Yes?”

He would have done anything she would have asked.

“Be safe.”

He grinned all over again and became a blushing puddle once Sakura got up and left. Tenten had of course been watching the entire conversation from afar and immediately began to playfully tease Lee about his crush. She was truly proud of him. She also hoped Lee having a girlfriend would mean he might direct his intensity for training elsewhere. 

Naruto eventually woke up and was glad to see his team was safe and that he was surrounded by his classmates. The panic over Orochimaru had not yet left him so several of them made fun of him _again_ but he didn’t care. He was just glad to be alive and to know everyone was okay. After allowing Sakura to finally rest, they would set out again into the dark and treacherous forest.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Team 7 had finally found a place to rest near the rocky riverbed. Sasuke, afraid to be burnt by the blazing sun, had talked Naruto into fishing for them. He had argued that Naruto was a poor leader for not helping set up camp. This worked every time like clockwork when he wanted Naruto to do something for him. Sasuke had it down to a science. Naruto caught three fish and they began roasting them on an open fire. It smelled delightful as their starving bellies groaned for sustenance. They had a problem, though. Not much time remained in the exam and they still did not have their heaven scroll. Sasuke couldn’t figure out the answer and had to pee anyway so he left Naruto and Sakura and hoped they wouldn’t find a way to hurt themselves in his absence. 

“…but what if we just opened it!?” Naruto argued back at Sakura.

He had reasoned that if they opened the one scroll they had, they would be able to create a fake scroll to still pass.

“I’m telling you, it’s a bad idea. Give it to me!” She demanded.

He pulled the scroll back to keep it out of her reach.

“I’m just gonna do it!” He yelled as he put his fingers to the seal before being stopped by another ninja.

“She’s right you know.” Kabuto said plainly.

“GAH! W-Where did you come from!?” Naruto shrieked.

“You’re Kabuto, right? What are you doing here alone?” Sasuke said as he emerged back from the forest.

Kabuto had been kind enough to show them the ropes when they started the exam and now he was being kind enough to tell Naruto not to do something stupid. It was strange and obviously suspicious, but he had no valid reason to doubt Kabuto. He was a comrade from the Hidden Leaf. 

“Yes, Sasuke. Something’s happened and I’m on my way to meet my teammates. It’s not like I need our scroll.” He said slyly and showed Sasuke his two scrolls. “Well, I’m off now.”

He turned to leave as quickly as he had shown up.

“Wait!” Sasuke yelled after him. “Fight me.”

He knew Kabuto had only helped him on the surface. Something about him just made his skin crawl. Sakura and Naruto dissented thinking Kabuto was their friend. They didn’t have his kind of expert intuition.

“We don’t have a choice!” Sasuke turned and snapped at Naruto who was protesting loudly behind him.

“You’re not as cold as you think you are, Sasuke.” Kabuto stared at him with steely eyes behind his glasses. “If you really wanted to attack me, you should have just done it. Besides, I can lead you to a scroll.”

Sasuke begrudgingly trusted him again and the three followed Kabuto toward the tower where many ninja would be arriving with their heaven and earth scrolls. They stopped at a discreet location in the trees. A sound suddenly disturbed the bushed behind them and Naruto acted quickly using a kunai. It met with the head of an enormous centipede with too many legs to count.

“Oh, just a centipede.” Naruto said almost completely unbothered.

He never had any problem with bugs, although his teammates did.

“Eeeeeewww!” Sakura squirmed.

“I hate it. It has too many legs.”

Sasuke resisted the urge to move around to shake the creepy crawling feeling all over his body. He had always hated bugs, especially _those kinds._

The four began to walk toward the direction of the tower. The tower did not get any closer even after hours of walking. Once they realized that they had become prey to a genjutsu clone attack, their enemies finally appeared en masse. There must have been hundreds of them. The four of them fought the clones rigorously until they were able to defeat them. Sasuke’s curse mark had begun to act up again during battle. It seemed that it would react every time he would use the Sharingan or exhibit too much chakra.

Thankfully, Naruto was able to counter the attack and assist greatly in their success. Sasuke wondered how he managed to always fuck it up when they weren’t on missions and then when they were, he somehow became some kind of crazy genius. They took the remaining scroll from the clones they defeated and made their final stretch toward the tower. They reached its steps and the three of them breathed a sigh of huge relief. All of them were starving and exhausted. They entered the tower together, said their goodbyes and Kabuto and his team made their separate way into an isolated room. There, Kabuto found his true master, Orochimaru. 


	9. Undisclosed Desires

Team 7 managed to make it to their destination with the scrolls they needed. They had barely lived, but they were there. Once they arrived, they opened the scroll as instructed. Iruka Sensei had congratulated them for making it and then given them instructions on how to move forward. Everyone who had arrived early would receive medical treatment, food, and be placed in temporary lodging and therefore be given a chance to rest. They would be fighting one on one tomorrow. Surprisingly, shinobi valued sleep greatly and encouraged rest before missions.

Despite being relieved that they would be given a chance to rest, they had not been completely thrilled with their lodgings. It was a cramped apartment with 2 rooms, each with a twin bed. Not much, but it was better than sleeping on the forest floor. Sasuke hobbled over to one of the rooms and sat down at the end of the bed. He needed to process everything that had happened, but his body was exhausted. His heart was heavy. The last few days had been insufferably difficult, and it had taken its toll.

Sakura watched Sasuke enter the first room by himself and briefly thought about asking to share it with him. She contemplated it for a few moments further before deciding it would be much too direct. 

_Fuck._

“H-hey… uh Sakura.. why don’t we just share--“

“No way, Naruto! Go to sleep!”

Naruto watched her storm away and slam the door behind her in the other room. No matter what, she did not want to sleep in a room with Naruto despite having concerns that -things- may happen between he and Sasuke if left alone together. She blushed wildly at the thought. She just could not see what Sasuke apparently did. 

_Did I really see what I thought I saw back there?_

She was also incredibly exhausted, having not slept well in several days. She collapsed on the small bed, not bothering to even take her shoes off. She closed her eyes and was asleep within minutes.

The blonde stood in the small living room for a moment before he shyly took a few steps toward the room Sasuke was in. He approached the door to see him sitting at one end of the bed with both palms on his eyes, rubbing them. He had removed his gear which was now stacked neatly on the floor beside his shoes. Now that Naruto was seeing him in the light, he really did look exhausted. Naruto panicked when he noticed that there was only one bed in the room and boy was it _small._

_Shit._

The floor would be fine, he supposed. It wasn’t anything he hadn’t done before; besides, he could fall sleep anywhere.

“Sit up here, loser.”

Sasuke gestured to his left. He had seen the blonde obviously contemplate just sitting on the floor and reasoned that it would be cruel to make him. Regardless of what he told himself, the truth was after what he had been through, he just wanted to be held by him.

Naruto stared for a moment. Something wasn’t right about Sasuke. His energy was different.

“Sasuke… what happened... while I wasn’t there?”

Sasuke's eyes spoke a thousand words without him uttering a sound. Thinking about what happened was too difficult at the moment for his tired mind. The physical pain returned in an instant and felt like lightning. He bent over and instinctively grabbed his neck.

“W-what’s wrong!? What’s on your neck!?”

Naruto spoke with panic in his voice. It was too late now to hide it from him. He would have to fess up.

“That… creepy person bit me while you were unconscious. Don’t tell anyone. They might not let me fight.”

Sasuke removed his hand and pulled his collar down and showed Naruto the curse mark.

Naruto’s expression changed from curious to outrage.

“He-HE _BIT_ YOU!?” Naruto exclaimed and jumped up on the bed. “RrRRGG! I’m going to find that asshole and bury him!”

“Calm down, idiot. You can’t tell anyone… ouch.” He hissed while grabbing his shoulder to try to combat the shooting fiery pain.

He was trying to be hopeful, but in his heart, he knew this path had already gripped him and was not letting go.

“A-are you okay!?” Naruto exclaimed.

“Y-yeah. It just hurts.” He paused for a moment. “Naruto…” 

Naruto stared at him with his bright blue eyes. Sasuke had so many things he wished he could say but it felt impossible to say them. He had always wanted to protect Naruto and had been successful at most points. Today, however, Naruto had protected him. The warmth he had initially felt from it was silenced by echoes of hatred from his heart for his brother. He felt weak in comparison to his teammate. He vowed that once the Chunin Exams ended, he would look for his opportunity to leave. He was not okay and never thought he would be again.

“Lay down on your back.” Sasuke commanded as he stood up.

Naruto looked at him puzzled. He studied his best friend for a moment and noticed he was shifting his weight side to side ever so slightly. 

_Is he blushing?_

“W-Why?” 

“Don’t ask! Just do it.” He snapped, pointing his finger at where he wanted him to go.

“Jeez, fine… I-I will lay down...”

He was a little scared by the unusual behavior and carefully laid on his back as Sasuke had commanded.His mind began to race and he felt his heart start to beat faster. Then, it dawned on him.

_We're alone together again..._

In an instant, Naruto forgot completely about how annoying Sasuke had been the last several weeks. His face suddenly felt hotter than a fresh bowl of ramen.

“Now.. scoot closer to the wall.”

Sasuke spoke calmly, but his fidgeting showed he was far from it. 

The blonde stared at him in disbelief. Was he really about to.. _lay next to him?_ Naruto’s heart jumped into his throat. He slowly scooted his body toward the wall. His nervousness made it so that he was laying stiff as a plank, arms to his sides.

Sasuke gulped.

_Okay. This will be the last time._

He reached his hand out to Naruto’s and roughly clasped it in his own.

_He's so rigid._

“Relax.”

He put his knee on the bed and positioned his body on his side while wrapping Naruto’s left arm around his own neck. He hesitated for another moment and then laid his head on Naruto’s chest near his shoulder, allowing his own left arm to drape across the blonde’s stomach.

“S-Sasuke.. what are you—” Naruto started.

He was frozen and hadn’t moved a muscle since Sasuke touched him. It was like having a hummingbird land on him. It just didn’t happen and when it did, he stayed damn still and appreciated the moment, but this wasn’t a hummingbird. This was _Sasuke._

“Please… just shut up and do this for me.” Sasuke pleaded quietly.

He had desperately missed this feeling. He had thought that maybe if he were harsh enough and distant enough, it would fade, but instead, it just made it much more intense. 

Naruto was struggling with his own confusing thoughts. 

_It seems like he does like me... but I'm not sure. Maybe that's why he's been acting so weird?_

His shitty attitude made a little sense now, he guessed. Naruto took a chance and pulled him closer, resting his cheek against the Uchiha’s head. To his shock, Sasuke allowed him.

_His hair is so soft..._

They breathed silently for several moments before Sasuke's breath settled into a steady deep breathing pattern. He had fallen asleep almost immediately. Naruto fought the urge to squeeze him.

_He's so cute when he's asleep..._

He realized that his chest felt funny and his stomach felt like it had butterflies in it. It was like how he had felt about Sakura, only amplified 10-fold. The reality of his feelings for him hit Naruto like cupid had assassinated him. 

_Holy shit... I have a huge crush on him._

That much was finally obvious to him. He looked down at the Uchiha’s left hand resting lightly on his chest and decided he wanted to be brave. He carefully placed his hand on top of Sasuke’s and clasped it in his own. He never wanted to let him go. It was the first time in years that Sasuke slept through the night in a deep and dreamless slumber. For him, it was much more than just a crush.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sakura awoke in a nightmarish panic. She had dreamt about the days just before and relived her trauma of the near death of herself and her team for the first time. Her entire body was covered in a cold sweat which caused parts of her clothes to be damp. She smelled like a wet dog or worse and her long hair, her best asset in her mind, was now gone. It had been ripped from her in an instant despite having it her entire life, but none of that mattered anymore. The only thing that was important to her now was survival and protecting her team. She would do whatever it took to be there for both of those boys. She loved them both in different ways. She realized that now, but her feelings for Sasuke perpetuated despite her nervous doubts of his love belonging to the other boy.

It was still early. The sun had not quite come up. She laid in bed, thinking about the previous day. Her mind would have to process it later. She had another fight to worry about today. She forced herself up and went to the restroom to use the basin provided in each small lodging. She wiped down her filthy skin to attempt to scrub off the blood and dirt from her body. Although a medical ninja had healed her the night before, the scars would be with her forever.

She managed to clean herself up decently. The exams would not start until 10 AM. She had about 4 and half hours and would need to find a way to kill the time. She left the bathroom and was about to go back to her room, but then something made her stop. A creeping and devious thought crossed her mind.

_Sasuke would never tell me.. If it were true, I would need to find out for sure on my own._

Her heart sped up as she contemplated the unthinkable. She looked over at the room that they were both in. It was cracked open. She breathed, not realizing that she had been holding her breath. She began to try to rationalize that if the door were open, that nothing would have happened between them. Her brain circled the idea for a few more moments, teetering on if she would be making the right decision for herself.

_Just fucking do it. Like a band aid._

If her suspicions were true, she would then need to seriously stop going after Sasuke. Her eyes began to well as she thought about it.

_And if I let go of that idea of you, I won’t have someone to hope to marry. What would Konoha think if I never met anyone? I would never stop loving you, Sasuke._

Her young mind had yet to comprehend the size of her life ahead of her beyond the Uchiha. She wiped her eyes and decided she would do what she thought she had to.

Her body trembled with anticipation as she approached the door. She recognized Naruto’s snores and the light breathing of Sasuke as they slept. She deliberated with herself for a few moments before peering inside. Her heart instantly sank as she immediately retreated back into the hall. It was everything she desperately wanted to be false. The two were cuddled together so closely. Her young heart sparked with jealousy and then sadness. Accepting them would be difficult and she would love Sasuke anyway, but never as a girlfriend. They looked so serene.

_So that’s it, then._

She backed up, leaned against the wall and slid to the ground outside their door. The tears came, but only a few. She would try not cry over their happiness if that is what they wanted. She went to stand when the door suddenly flew open.

Sasuke stared down in disbelief.

_Sakura knows._

His mind immediately began to race. He never expected this level of creepy from her.

“Sasuke, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to..” She whispered, but then noticed the terror in his face and stood up to try to explain. “It’s okay. I promise. I didn’t see anything just now at all... or that night in the forest. Please don’t hate me! I was just worried so I went to –” Sakura had a problem with word vomiting the truth when cornered by people she loved.

“Stop!” Sasuke said as loudly as he could without waking Naruto.

He clenched his jaw and closed his eyes. He began to speak again and closed his mouth again indicating to Sakura that he had no idea what to say to her. He was still processing that she had known about them the entire time. He had been anxiously waiting to see if he would be forcefully taken ever since that night and a sense of relief washed over him as he realized it had been her. After relief, came pure, relentless anxiety of what the future held. His face contorted and his voice shook as he spoke.

“Have you told anyone?” 

“No! I would never! I would never do anything put you in harm’s way and I… accept it. I just… needed to know.” She whispered, still trying to keep her voice down.

Sakura wanted to make sure that he knew he was safe with her, but truthfully her heart was broken. She half hoped that he would tell her it wasn’t what it looked like. 

Sasuke stared at her, stunned.

_She.. sees me and she accepts it?_

All he could manage was a nod to say that he understood. He turned to go wash up a little for the exams, but then turned back toward her again.

“No one can know.”

He spoke with a sadness in his voice that Sakura had never heard before. Under normal circumstances, he would have been angry, but she had kept his secret as far as he was aware. He didn’t think she would have paid him that kindness at least.

Sakura’s heart broke a little upon hearing him verbally confirm it even though this was what she expected. She nodded in return and their agreement of silence was set in stone, but someone else knew their secret.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Gaara’s third eye peered in through the small window in the corner of the room. The Uchiha had now really piqued his interest.

 _Why is that blonde boy so special to him?_ _He seems so useless._

He did not understand the concept of love in the way that others did, so seeing it was both fascinating and infuriating. It also made him feel lonelier. He would kill those feelings with the Uchiha. Gaara’s eyes suddenly widened as he sensed a wild chakra that almost burned. It was subtle, but it was there. A hint of chakra that was dormant, but simultaneously boiling just beneath the surface.

_What is he?_

Suddenly, Shukaku awoke.

_Ugh_

_“Hey.. it’s that boy again.”_

The demon was unusually calm.

_“He’s like us. He has the 9-tailed demon fox, the Kyuubi sits dormant in a seal within him.”_

_“Liar”_ Gaara retorted.

He would not believe Shukaku until he saw some evidence, but now he needed to find evidence even if it meant ripping the boy open to look.

“ _heheheh. You’ll see boy. You’ll see.”_ His demon chortled.

Gaara looked again at the sleeping blonde boy through his sand eye.

_He has marks on his face that resemble whiskers…maybe for once the demon wasn’t lying._

He observed for a few moments longer, a part of him yearning for what they had together. He had never touched anyone like that. He would never have that, though, so he would destroy it to make it cease to exist in his world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music this chapter - Undisclosed Desires by Muse


	10. Why Him?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for reading!

Sasuke and Sakura silently ate breakfast together. Naruto was still asleep, but a portion had been set aside for him once he awoke. A knock on the door broke the awkward silence, causing them both to jump simultaneously. They were both on edge.

“I got it.”

Sakura got up and answered the door to see her sensei, smiling through his mask.

“Good morning!” He chimed.

He peaked around Sakura to see Sasuke sitting at the small table. His tone suddenly changed to one of urgency.

“Sasuke, finish your breakfast and come with me please. Quickly!”

“Uh.. sure.”

_Shit, why was he here?_

He replied recognizing the seriousness of Kakashi’s tone. He took a few more bites and followed Kakashi out of the apartment.

“We need to do something about your little problem.” Kakashi spoke lowly to avoid being overheard.

Sasuke looked at his sensei with a panicked stare.

_My PROBLEM?_

He was suddenly paranoid that everyone knew his secret.

“Now, I know you are looking to jump in the exams, but we just cannot have it going out of control during a fight. Where were you bit?” Kakashi inquired.

Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief.

_Oh, THAT problem. Damn it. Who had told him?_

He begrudgingly pulled his collar down to show Kakashi. Kakashi’s eye squinted as he looked at the seal carefully. He did not show his intense fear for Sasuke. 

“I’m fine, sensei, I can battle, no problem.” Sasuke retorted.

“You won’t be fine if you try to battle with that thing on your neck. It’s going to eat you up. You will be allowed to compete, so calm yourself. We just need to do this first.”

Sasuke caved and nodded his head. As long as he was able to compete, he would not complain. His entire reason for doing the exam in the first place was to prove his strength to himself. Now, he wanted to prove that he could fight Naruto and win. He began to accept that he was starting to see Naruto as a legitimate rival _._ Kakashi led him into a dim-lit room meant for performing complex sealing jutsus and began to set up. There were quite a few steps to completing the ritualistic sealing of his curse. Kakashi worked quickly and expertly as if he had done it 1,000 times. 

“Take your shirt off.” Kakashi said casually.

Sasuke had not considered he would need to remove clothing to go through with this, but he trusted Kakashi to know what he was doing and did as he was told. Kakashi then had him sit in the center of a circle with complex instructions written throughout it.

“Now, here comes the long part. You’ll just need to hold very still. This jutsu will seal your curse mark.”

Kakashi pulled out a brush and began painting sealing instructions on his body. It was cold and it tickled a little, but he did his best not to move. All he wanted was to get back to the exams.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Naruto finally awoke and immediately looked down to see Sasuke was gone. He blinked a few times slowly and recalled the night before. It had been so nice. He wished he could go back to those moments again.

_Hopefully he doesn't decide to treat me like crap again after that._

He sat up with a frown on his face and rubbed his tired eyes. An enticing smell was coming from the common area. It motivated him enough to roll out of bed and head toward it. Sakura was in the tiny kitchen cleaning up after herself and noticed him meander toward her. 

“There's food for you there.” 

“Aww, Sakura made this for ME? Thank you!”

Naruto beamed. His eyes were big and bright with excitement. He happily sat down and inhaled his meal. 

“Ha! It wasn't me. The exam organizers brought it for us.”

"Oh."

He spoke with his mouth full. She could tell he was disappointed that she hadn't actually cooked for him. He finished his food quickly and had made a mess as he did so. She studied him for a few moments. 

_Why him, Sasuke? I guess he is kind of sweet sometimes... but he's so annoying._

The fact was that Sasuke did _used_ to find him incredibly annoying from time to time. However, he was currently more annoyed with himself. As much as he had tried to silence the emotions and push him away, his feelings had only grown stronger. His annoyance with Naruto was only because he thought Naruto would slow him down. It was shifting to admiration and awe as he realized what he was truly capable of. 

“So um.. where's Sasuke?”

Sakura stared at him for a moment.

“He went with Kakashi… I-I don’t know wh-“

“Was it about that weird bruise?” Naruto said darkly.

His entire demeanor changed.

“Yes…I think so.”

Her face was pained with worry. The events of the forest still haunted her immensely and would continue to for months. 

“It’s gonna be okay, Sakura. I’ll make sure of that.”

Naruto reassured her the best that he could. She knew that there was nothing he could possibly do to help at this point, but she appreciated his support and smiled at him.

“Thank you.”


	11. A Snake's Visit

The exams had begun. A gigantic statue sat at the end of the arena with two enormous stone palms facing up. Too many ninja had managed to make it through the forest. Rather than go on to the final one on one battles, they were instructed to complete a preliminary match to rule out weaker competitors. Naruto watched with pure excitement as the first battle began. He stood with Sakura at the upper level meant for spectators with his upper body leaning over the edge of the guard rail. While he was staring at the battle, she was looking at and studying her competitors. There were a lot of intimidating figures including the murderous boy from the sand. She vowed to forfeit if faced with anyone unbeatable. 

The battle below them went on for about 10 minutes. Their leaf village Genin, Shino Aburame, did not take long to entrap his enemy in his chakra stealing bugs. It was a disgustingly horrific sight, but the fight was stopped before his opponent was completely drained of chakra. He was announced the winner with ease.

Everyone looked to the proctor and waited anxiously for the next battle to be announced. Sakura was nervously sitting next to Naruto, but her mind was somewhere else.

_I hope Sasuke is okay. He’s been gone for a long time now and he’s missing the fights. Will he even be able to compete?_

Just then, she heard Hayate call the attention to the crowd, quieting them as he did so.

“Thank you for your attention. The next match is Sakura Haruno vs. Ino Yamanaka!”

Her eyes grew wide as she realized she would be fighting her rival.

_What were the chances of that!?_

Sakura jumped down into the arena and Ino did the same with a wide cocky smile plastered across her face. Sakura had not sparred with Ino for several months. The last time she had, Ino had won.

_This time will be different. I am much stronger now._

“Hey billboard brow, I don’t know why you think you’re better than me, but today I’ll make sure I prove it to everyone!”

Ino spoke confidently. She thought she had the fight already won. She had already reasoned that this was the best possible match for her especially with some of those crazy looking guys lurking around.

“Hah, I’ll make you eat your words, Ino-pig!”

Sakura did not hesitate and immediately went for Ino with quick and controlled movements. She felt like she could handle anything after what she had been through the past week. She swung her left fist at Ino’s head to be blocked by her expectedly which left her wide open for an uppercut directly to the chin. Sakura’s fist connected, but Ino had seen the attack coming and had kicked Sakura at the same time. They both flew a little more than 10 feet away from the point of impact. Sakura caught herself, wincing from the pain, but she was on her feet. Ino, on the other hand had landed directly on her tail bone from the impact throwing her head and body backward.

_When did she get so strong!?_ _That fucking hurt._

She would have to be more cautious than she originally had assumed. Her anger began to fume, and she used that as a catalyst for her next attack. She ran swiftly directly at her rival and attempted to punch her in the face the same way. Sakura had caught her fist and attempted the same but was caught by Ino’s other hand. Their eyes met with furious competition as they locked into their stalemate. In an instant, they pushed off each other, each of them remembering their training perfectly by sending shuriken flying at one another. The throws were so precise that the shuriken hit each other and hit the ground surrounding them.

The two shinobi then came at each other once again, this time, Sakura was determined to connect her punch, but so was Ino. Unfortunately for both of them, they both accomplished their goal and landed hard hitting punches to their faces which sent their small bodies flying again. Sakura slowly got up and smirked at her opponent. She could tell Ino was flustered.

“There’s no way that _you_ of all people would be able to beat me!” Ino shrieked, unsure why she hadn’t already won this fight.

“It should be easy.” She started coyly, “especially against someone who only cares about how they look and their hair.”

She knew she would push a button with that statement, and it would give her the advantage.

“Stop disrespecting me!” Ino retorted.

She was pissed off and it was obvious.

_Fine, Sakura. If that’s what you’re going to throw at me then I will prove you wrong right here._

In one fluid motion, she took her kunai and cut her hair just after the base of her ponytail. She would later almost regret her decision, but she felt really cool doing it.

“I don’t fucking need this... and I’m going to end this right now!” Ino bellowed. “I’ll make you say ‘I give up’”.

Sakura observed the act, a little shocked at first, but knew that she had not have done it if she had not pressed her. She would press her more.

“Come at me, Ino!”

Ino smirked and did her clan’s signature hand sign. Sakura tried to jump out of the way, but it was too late. Her soul had gone into a dormant sleep and Ino had taken over her body using her mind-transfer jutsu. Ino entered Sakura’s mind and tried to get Sakura to forfeit.

“I, Sakura Haruno, would like to fo— AAAAUGHH!”

Ino suddenly felt her soul being squeezed tightly from inside Sakura. Sakura had found a way to suppress her jutsu from sheer will power alone _._ The pressure continued to increase until she felt as is she could not breath.

_Damn it! I have to go back._

She used her release hand sign to return to her body before Sakura choked her soul out completely. They both gained consciousness in their own body again and went after each other again. Their fists connected on each of their cheeks, harder than ever. Their bodies collapsed on either side of the arena. This time, neither of them got up for several seconds.

“It’s a draw!” Hayate finally ruled. “There will be no winner to move forward in this round.”

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Kakashi had finally finished preparations for sealing the curse. Sasuke was getting impatient. Even though his sensei had promised he could compete, he wanted to go _now._ This would just be another hindrance in obtaining the power that he needed.

“We’re ready. This is going to hurt.” Kakashi warned.

Before Sasuke had a chance to react, Kakashi completed the complex hand sign and placed his palm against the mark on Sasuke’s neck. The pain was instantaneous and comparable to when he first received the bite. He screamed from the reignited blinding pain. The script written along his body and the ground moved in unison and sealed the mark, creating an intricate circle around the mark. Sasuke’s body trembled with the immense pain and he felt his vision go blurry.

_Not... again..._

His consciousness left him causing him to slump backward. He would have hit his head against the ground hard if Kakashi had not caught him. He laid him down on the ground before him to recuperate.

“You’ve grown, Kakashi.”

A snake like voice pierced the shadows behind Kakashi.

_That was…_

“You….”

Kakashi turned, horrified.

_When did he get here? How long has he been here?_

“It’s been a long time.”

Orochimaru revealed himself from the shadows and approached the copycat ninja. He spoke with a condescending tone. 

“Sorry, but I have no business with you.”

He paused to examine the Uchiha. Kakashi would not have put up with most other ninja eying his pupil in that way, but he would have to make his moves carefully. He was afraid to ask, but he needed to get as much information as he could to protect Sasuke.

“What do you want with him?” he spoke gravely.

“It’s good for you, you’ve already got it, right?” The snake-like man sneered. “You didn’t have it before, did you?”

He paused for a moment.

“That sharingan sitting in your left eye.”

Kakashi saw where this was going. He wanted to use Sasuke for his abilities and gods knew whatever else. He shot a glare toward Orochimaru that most only saw before they died. 

“I want it too... the Uchiha Power.”

“For what purpose?”

Kakashi spoke with a cool tone, despite feeling enraged.

“The recently built Sound Village is my village, you see. You already understand, don’t you?”

“That’s a ridiculous ambition.”

“Oh, my… you said it, but to do that I need various pieces who will obey my every whim.”

Orochimaru still sported a big smile, knowing he had complete control over the present situation. He began to slowly approach Kakashi from the dark corner in which he stood. Kakashi was fully prepared to fight him with every ounce of strength he had if it meant defending the boy lying next to him. Orochimaru took one more step too close. 

“Don’t come any closer to him!” he yelled while gathering chakra in his right hand for his Chidori.

Orochimaru’s smile suddenly disappeared, but only for a moment.

“Even if you are one of the legendary Sanin, I can at least kill you as you kill me.”

Kakashi spoke with severity and purpose in his voice.

_This was not the time._

“Hnhnhn… HAHAHA.”

The Sanin began to laugh maniacally.

“What’s funny?” Kakashi asked, afraid of the tricks this reptile has up his sleeves.

“What you say, and what you do, are different.”

Orochimaru’s tone had changed to be much more serious.

“What?”

Now Kakashi was simply confused.

_What was he getting at?_

“There’s no point in attempting such a seal. You don’t understand, do you? For the heart to seek out a personal goal of that stature, to be an avenger like him, it won’t matter what you do.”

“So you took advantage of that, huh? However, Sasuke is - ” Kakashi started.

“He will find me.” Orochimaru cut him off. “He will seek me out in search of power and there will be nothing you can do.”

With that, Orochimaru turned his back and began to walk away.

“Oh, and you’re going to kill me? Why don’t you try? That is, if you can.”

Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief but was trembling. He cursed himself for being so stupidly forward. He barely stood a chance against Orochimaru _._ It did not matter. The emergency had been averted for the moment. He walked over to Sasuke and slapped his face a few times which caused him to start to come to. Kakashi then grabbed his water bottle and dumped it on the Uchiha’s head. It did the trick. 

“Uah… nn.”

Sasuke’s eyes opened slowly. He blinked a few times.

_Why am I wet?_

“Good, you’re awake. You will the last to compete in order to give your body enough time to adjust.”

Kakashi spoke calmly even though his nerves were on edge.

“Last to.. compete.”

His mind took a moment to remember everything.

“How long have I been out?”

“Not long, but you need rest at least for a moment on the sidelines. Come, let’s join the others.”

He paused for a moment.

“...and Sasuke, be careful with using the Sharingan. That seal is still working on keeping the curse mark at bay and it may be another day or two before it’s safe to use a significant amount of chakra.” He warned.

Sasuke nodded. This would make his fight a lot more difficult, but he was determined to prove himself.


	12. Cheer For You

Sasuke blinked the water out of his eyes and tried to focus his blurry vision. 

“Go to the others. I will meet you later, but I have to do something.”

Kakashi left to inform the Hokage of the incident. Sasuke watched him leave and began to slowly make his way toward his team.

“SASUKE!”

Ino had noticed that he ascended the stairs on either side of the arena and ran joyfully to greet him. He stopped in his tracks. 

_Shit._

She immediately wrapped her arm around him, and his expression changed from eager to irritated.

“Don’t touch me.” He snipped at her.

“Jeez, my bad Sasuke.”

She looked at him, confused. He was usually more passive about affections of the girls around him. His harshness struck her as unusual. As he walked passed her toward his team, the announcement was made for the next match.

“Next Match: Naruto Uzumaki Vs. Kiba Inuzuka!” the proctor, Hayate Gekko, announced followed by a cough into his sleeve.

“Wear a mask!” someone from the crowd yelled at him. Hayate grumbled to himself.

_What I have isn’t contagious, but I surely wouldn’t be so selfish to not wear one if it were._

Naruto jumped in excitement, elated to finally have his chance to fight.

“YYYYEESSS! It’s here it’s here it’s here!” He screamed.

He jumped over the railing and into the arena ready to take on Kiba. He had known him from class, but they had always butted heads. Kiba was loud and forward in the same way he was, but they were never able to find common ground despite their similarities.

“Yeah! Lucky us!” Kiba yelled.

He jumped down to meet Naruto eye to eye.

“This is a guaranteed win, Akamaru.”

The small white dog sitting just inside his coat barked in agreement.

“It’s finally my time to shine!” Naruto declared proudly in front of Kiba.

Kiba had missed his opportunity to say anything first.

_Damn it!_

“HEY! That’s MY line! With YOU as my opponent, this will be easy! Isn’t that right, Akamaru?””

Kiba threw an accusatory finger toward Naruto as Akamaru barked excitedly. 

“Don’t get excited!!”

The two began throwing poorly constructed insults at one another. Sasuke was beginning to think that they would never fight. He approached Sakura, who immediately ran to him when she saw him.

“Sasuke! You’re back just in time. Are you alright?”

She had been worried about him but wanted to act as she usually did. He nodded.

“The seal helped.”

He spoke low to avoid listening ears. He turned to see Naruto fighting Kiba.

_This should be interesting._

Sakura turned to hear Kiba taunting Naruto rudely.

“Naruto! Don’t you dare lose to a guy like this!” She cheered from the balcony.

Sasuke stared at her for a few moments before joining her next to the guard rail. He wanted Naruto to know he was watching too. 

“Naruto! Kick his ass!” Sasuke yelled.

Naruto looked up from the arena at his teammates with misty eyes. He couldn’t help it. Knowing they were _both_ there for him filled him with joy. 

Everyone else from the Hidden Leaf was shocked to hear _Sasuke Uchiha_ cheer _Naruto Uzumaki_ in a fight. He hardly spoke, let alone cheered others on, and especially not the class clown.

Hayate began the battle and before he could think, Naruto had already been punched so hard the wind had been knocked completely out of him. Sakura winced just watching the blow.

_Fuck, ouch... he's fast._

Kiba stood tall, confident that he had ended the fight in an instant. He didn’t appear to be the only one who assumed the fight was already over. Naruto pulled himself up slowly which induced murmurs from the spectators. It hurt like hell and he could feel the blood gushing from his mouth, but he could move and that was all he needed to win.

“Don’t you dare underestimate me.” Naruto affirmed.

He was so fed up with people thinking little of him, but he knew he had what it took.

_Kiba doesn’t know shit._

“I was just testing you.”

Kiba stared at him, somewhat concerned, but still fairly confident he would end this sooner rather than later. He and Akamaru suddenly started running at Naruto.

“You’re going to regret that.” He growled.

“Go Naruto!!!” Sakura yelled again to make sure he felt encouraged despite the hard hit he took in the beginning.

Sasuke had almost regretted spontaneously deciding to cheer for him. He knew what he was capable of and If it came to it, he would not lose so it was not about if he won or lost. The part that was embarrassing was that now _everyone_ knew he cared enough about Naruto Uzumaki to cheer for him openly. Sakura bit her lip to try to force herself into not feeling intensely jealous. 

Kakashi had returned by now and was also closely watching the battle beside them. Kiba took two purple smoke bombs from his bag and hurled them at Naruto. They landed at his feet causing clouds of purple smoke to cover the arena. Everything was silent for a few moments.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Gaara watched Sasuke carefully from the other side of the arena.

_Where has he been this entire time?_

He had been anxiously waiting for a chance to kill the Uchiha. He _needed_ to kill him so that he could forever sever his bonds.

_I shouldn't kill him right now, but I can still cause damage._

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The fog cleared to reveal a defeated and unconscious Naruto on the ground and a contented Akamaru sitting beside him. Sasuke and Sakura’s eyes widened as they both tried to mentally push him.

_Get up… get up!_

The little dog began to run back to Kiba who reached his arms out while congratulating the good boy on his success. Akamaru leapt and rather than land safely in Kiba’s arms, bit his arm _hard._ Kiba stood confused.

“Akamaru… why?”

Suddenly Akamaru transformed to reveal Naruto biting his arm. Kiba shoved him away and Naruto spat out the fur he had gotten in his mouth. Not to mention, Kiba _stunk._

“You smell.. so bad.” Naruto whimpered while holding his nose.

Kiba ignored the comment.

“Where is my dog!?” He demanded.

Naruto transformed the passed out clone back into himself and Akamaru.

“Right here.” His clone smiled.

Kiba took the opportunity to go in his pouch and pull out a pack of small pellets and threw one directly into Akamaru’s mouth.

“I’ll be taking him back now.” He boasted with a grin.

Akamaru’s fur suddenly began to grow shaggy and dark. His growls suddenly sounded deeper and grew into snarls. The dog pushed the clone in the stomach causing it to disappear. He jumped back over to Kiba and began viciously growling in Naruto’s direction.

“W-What the hell did you give him?” Naruto stammered.

“Heh. You’ll see.”

Kiba took one of the pellets in his own mouth on got on the ground. Akamaru jumped on his back. In an instant, Akamaru had transformed into a copy of Kiba to form his Man Beast Clone jutsu.

“H-HEY! Isn’t that doping!? Isn’t using drugs against the rules?!? Is this really okay!?” Naruto squealed, terrified of whatever was about to come at him.

While he was making a fuss, the clones had already begun to move. Naruto had to think quickly and dodge them in rapid succession _._ Kiba came from the back. Naruto barely darted out of the way by jumping high in the air.

_Shit he almost got me._

The two dog like ninjas jumped to the other side of the room and began to run back in Naruto’s direction. They formed into their Man-Beast Jutsu Ultimate Technique and spun together like sharp bullets, hitting Naruto directly in the back which had caused his head to fly forward and slam into the concrete. Naruto only saw stars for a moment, but _he was conscious._

“I’m going… to become… Hokage.” He said, forcing his muscles to start to move.

He could feel the blood running down his face from below his head band. His head was pounding, but still had fight in him. Every muscle was screaming out in pain as he moved, but he would not stop.

_I won't give up._

“You? Be Hokage? I would become Hokage sooner than you ever would.” Kiba said. 

Naruto finally pushed himself back up to his feet and glared at him hard.

“If you compete with me for that title, you’ll be the loser.” 

“You won’t get back up again after this!”

Kiba ran toward Naruto again using the same attack he had just used. Naruto leapt in the air to avoid it again, but still ended up landing awkwardly due to his injuries.

_Ouch._

Kiba threw more smoke bombs and he was encapsulated in a cloud of smoke again all at once. Kiba ruthlessly and wildly attacked in the cloud which made it difficult to avoid repeatedly.

_What do I do!?_

A thought rushed it’s way into his mind.

_That’s it._

The smoke cleared to reveal three Kibas at a stand off with one another. 

“I see, so that’s your move, but I’ll give you a piece of advice. I was careless before and a little late to realize it. The transformation jutsu isn’t effective anymore!” Said one Kiba as he hurled a punch at the other.

The Kiba went flying and crashed onto the concrete and transformed… _into Akamaru._

“Stop MESSING with me!” He screamed, infuriated that Naruto had made him hit his own dog.

He swung another punch at the other Kiba who also flew several feet and then transformed into Akamaru. While his back was turned to the other Akamaru, Naruto had transformed back into himself and ran full force up to Kiba and swung his foot straight up, connecting perfectly with Kiba’s chin. Kiba hit the ground hard next to his dog. He sat up and trembled, looking at his puppy who he had just hit with all of his force.

_He made me do this to you._

His anger instantly turned to Naruto. He pulled his hand up to mouth and bit down hard and tried to calm himself. 

_Calm down. Don't act reckless. I still have the advantage._

He grabbed shurikens in his hands and threw them in Naruto’s direction to study him for openings. Naruto dodged successfully, but Kiba was too fast. He connected a left hook to Naruto’s cheek, sending him across the arena. Kiba ran to where he would land and was nearly there before he hit the ground and tried to scratch Naruto across his face, but his arm was blocked and caught. Before he knew it, he was being thrown and slammed against the concrete, but it was not enough to do much damage. He sprung back and sparred with Naruto until he landed another vicious punch to Naruto’s face.

_That should have done it. Wait… still!? What is he made out of?_

Naruto rose up again slowly despite his beaten body almost being at it's limit. Blood was now dripping from him in various places. He didn’t care. He would do whatever it took.

Kiba gave him credit for the incredible resilience, but it would not be useful once he hit him one last time. He ran toward Naruto with full force, but rather than hitting Naruto head on this time, he swiveled around him to hit him in his blind spot. He almost made contact when the most atrocious smell his nose had ever witnessed entered his nostrils causing him to instantly gag and lose momentum. He reeled back covering his face, but then realized he was surrounded by Naruto’s shadow clones. If he moved in that moment, he may have vomited. Two of Naruto’s clones connected with Kiba’s face, three more kicked Kiba into the air, followed by a fifth to slam Kiba to the ground, instantly drawing puddles of blood. Kiba fell to the ground unconscious.

“Winner: Naruto Uzumaki!” Yelled Hayute with whatever his lungs would allow.

Multiple teams cheered for Naruto. It had been an incredible and unexpected fight. Sasuke felt proud of him despite winning under such circumstances. He hoped he would get his chance to fight him too.


	13. Liar

The battles raged throughout the day ending with bruises, blood, dirt, and sand. Some people had almost died that day including Lee, who went up against Gaara. After witnessing the psychosis the boy suffered from, Naruto wanted nothing to do with him. That was the only person who he did not want to get paired against. The battle had ended, and Lee’s arm and leg had been pulverized by his crushing sand. He wanted to kill him but was told enough by Might Guy who had managed to cause Gaara’s sand to dissipate with his powerful punch. He would respect their wishes for now. He stood, watching with raging jealousy as Lee’s sensei embraced him.

_I’ve seen enough of this shit._

“Lee!” Sakura yelled.

She jumped off the balcony and was running toward him. She reached him and collapsed near him and put her hand on his cheek. The medical ninjas were working quickly to stop the bleeding as he laid on the floor, immobile.

“Is he going to be okay!?” Sakura asked frantically.

The medic shot her a look that was not reassuring.

“We’re doing everything we can.”

They had finished completing their medical cauterization and lifted his body on the stretcher before leading him away. Sakura looked back at Naruto who was staring at them with a look of worry on his face. Sasuke impatiently waited for his turn next to him. She followed Guy and the medical ninja to where Lee would be treated. When she got to the door, she was not allowed to enter.

“I will take care of him, Sakura.” Said Guy assuredly even though she could see the distress on his face and in his voice. “Go to your team.”

She reluctantly agreed and headed back up to where they stood.

Finally, the last match was called.

“Sasuke Uchiha vs. Yoroi of the Sound!”

Hayate’s voice cracked a bit. Sasuke put on a brave face, but after the forest, he didn’t know what to expect from his enemies. He proceeded cautiously. Knowing that he could not fully use his abilities would make this tough, but he always appreciated being challenged.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Gaara made his way over to team 7 much to the horror and disagreement of his team after Sasuke’s name had been called. He could feel their gazes on the back of his head as he left.

_I’m not so stupid as to kill them right here. They must really think little of me._

It was time to start severing their bond. He crossed the balconies and approached them as he was watched by the other teams. Everyone was terrified of him now.

_Good._

Sakura noticed first that Gaara was approaching. She turned to see him walk within about 5 feet. Kakashi was keeping a very close eye on the red headed boy.

“You.”

Gaara pointed at Naruto.

“M-me!?” Naruto squeaked.

“I have something to tell you, but it’s a secret so I’ll have to whisper it to you.”

Gaara stared at him blankly. Naruto’s thoughts began to race.

_What does this psycho want?! I’m not interested in his secrets!!_

“No way! Anything you have to say can be said in front of my team!” Naruto spoke confidently, thinking that the boy would just say whatever the hell he had to say. He turned to keep watching Sasuke fight.

“Suit yourself. I don't care if I say it in front of them, but you might.” Gaara replied dryly.

“W-w-wait! Uhh..” Naruto started.

“Naruto… you shouldn’t listen to him. He's probably lying!” Sakura tried to say.

Naruto’s heart began beating fast.

_...But what was he talking about?_

“Y-Yeah... you're probably lying!”

Gaara smirked. 

"Last night..." He started. 

“WAIT. Fine. What the hell is it that you wanna say so bad?”

Naruto spoke with agitation in his voice and walked over aggressively to the red headed kid.

_Does he really know something!?_

Kakashi raised an eyebrow as he watched the two. 

“Naruto!” Sakura tried to warn him.

“If he tries anything, I will take care of it.”

Kakashi fixated his Sharingan eye on the Sand Genin. Naruto approached Gaara and that’s when he smelled it. _Rotting blood._ It was pungent. He coughed a little to try to avoid gagging. Gaara smirked and held his hand up to his cheek. Naruto gulped and leaned over to listen to what Gaara had to say. His eyes grew wide and then they grew furiously angry.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sasuke's body was being pushed. His breathing was labored. He had just dodged a series of attacks from his enemy who had been sucking his chakra every time they made contact. His curse mark was hurting again, but this time it wasn’t as bad _or was he just getting used to it?_ He looked up to Naruto for a moment to see the psychotic sand ninja talking to his team.

_What the hell does he want?!_

He would have to end this now to make sure they were okay. He attacked his enemy using full force, copying Lee’s taijutsu technique he had seen before, but then suddenly the mark stung like 100 wasps in the same spot. He felt it beginning to spread to his body again and remembered the concern from his team. He shoved the unwelcome chakra away and forced it to recede before pounding his enemy into the ground. He landed on the ground having won the fight to see Gaara was walking away from his teammates, but something was wrong. Naruto was pissed and he was screaming at Gaara, but not his usual screaming. He sounded incredibly upset. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Naruto had not realized how short Gaara was until he had to use his tip toes to whisper in Naruto’s ear, but his thoughts about the boy’s height would quickly dissipate.

“Sasuke’s going to fuck you over and leave you. No one could ever love a monster.”

He pulled away from the blonde to see Naruto’s grimace.

“Shut the fuck up!” Naruto screamed at him.

Gaara was surprised by the amount of emotion the boy had. He smiled at the blonde. 

_I've struck a chord._

“Gaara!”

Temari had arrived to do her best to make sure her brother didn’t cause mayhem.

“We’ll be leaving now.” Gaara remarked, now satisfied with having done his damage.

“Go to hell!” Naruto yelled at Gaara, before angrily turning away to walk back.

“Naruto, what did he do?”

Sasuke arrived to his team to see Naruto practically boiling.

“Tch..”

Naruto gritted his teeth. He wanted to scream and tell Gaara what a liar he was, but he didn’t want to attract any more attention.

_How did he know? And why am I so fucking mad about him saying that!?_

He looked at Sasuke, wanting to tell him everything right then, but he couldn’t. The more he thought about it, the angrier he got because _what if he was right?_ Sasuke had been super secretive and weird about stuff and no way would they ever be public about any of that stuff so _why_ was Sasuke leading him on like that? Couldn’t he just date a girl and be like everyone else?

_Man, this sucks._

Sasuke looked back at his teammate and frowned. He then looked at Kakashi and Sakura who were both equally as surprised.

_What on earth did that boy say to him?_

All at once, the adrenaline in his body drained and he began to feel nauseous. He couldn’t see anything but Naruto standing in front of him who was now running toward him. His world went dark again. 

“Sasuke!” Naruto and Sakura yelled as Sasuke began to collapse.

Kakashi caught him with lightning fast reflexes. 

“He needs rest and medical attention.” Kakashi spoke calmly.

“Don’t worry you two, I will take good care of him.”

Kakashi put his arms around Sasuke’s legs and shoulders and carried him away quickly to the hospital.


	14. Another Jinchūriki?

Gaara watched the Uchiha with his third eye. He was hidden behind a boulder not far from where Sasuke was training with Kakashi following the conclusion of the preliminary exams. He had come to watch him on multiple occasions in the days that had followed and had not gotten caught. That day, he was aching particularly hard for a kill. He considered attacking both the Uchiha and his sensei right then if it weren’t for Kakashi who had called him from his hiding place. Kakashi's reasoning made sense and he could not deny it. Despite claiming not to care what others thought, he felt it was better to seem rational and intelligent than bloodthirsty.

_Fine, I will wait. I'm just going to make your death worth it, Sasuke._

He left them to go back to wandering the village alone. After a few minutes, he noticed he was being followed. 

"What do you want?" 

“What did you say to Naruto that day?” . 

“The truth.” Gaara replied gravely.

He glared back at the Uchiha.

“Beat me, and then maybe I will tell you, but there’s no chance of that. You’re my prey.”

The creepy comment rubbed Sasuke the wrong way, but he played it off with confidence. 

“Hmph. As if I would lose to you.” Sasuke smirked. 

Gaara turned to face him completely and stared at him for a few moments. His emotional callousness waivered for a moment.

_If only I could be with someone like you... too bad you reject yourself even more than you would reject me._

Only a flicker, but Sasuke saw the pain in his expression for just a moment. 

“Are you gay?”

“Huh?” Sasuke blinked.

“I think you might be.”

Gaara’s eyes were piercing through Sasuke’s soul. He looked back at the boy in horror.

“What the fuck are you saying!? You really are a liar!”

The terror set in that someone seemed to just _know_. 

Gaara smirked. “You’re the one lying.”

He spoke flatly with no emotion as he disappeared into his sand.

Sasuke looked on, mortified. Now he had a legitimate reason to be paranoid that his secret would be exposed. He was certain that if the village found out, not only would they take him away, his clan's name would be tarnished forever. He felt incredibly stupid for doing anything that might expose the truth of his actions. He had never associated _that word_ with himself and refused to do it now despite knowing in his gut, it was the word people used to describe _people like him_.

_What a fucking asshole. He must have said something similar to Naruto._

He did not understand why the forceful urge to sob overcame him. He fought it with everything he had. With immense effort and a few shaky breaths, he shoved it back down within himself and headed back to Kakashi. Shinobis didn't cry. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Gaara sat alone on the rooftop of the inn he had been staying in for the last several days. It was early morning, not even 4:30 AM. He had been given his own room since Temari and Kankuro refused to sleep in the same vicinity as him. He couldn’t really blame them. He was a monster in their eyes, after all. For a moment, he imagined himself happy, but quickly buried the thought.

_Hopes were for the weak._

Gaara thought about his unfinished business with the taijutsu ninja he had fought against earlier. He had made an impact on Gaara - literally. He remembered the pain in the back of his head hurt for days. He didn’t know pain could linger for such a long time. The more he thought about the pain, the more excited Shukaku got.

“ _Kill him, Kill him!, KILL HIM! HAAAAAHAHAHA!”_

The demon shrieked incessantly as it began to take over Gaara’s mind. He let go and let Shukaku feed it. His _bloodlust._ It was pushing him. He _needed_ it to feel alive. His eyes grew big and his skull began to pound. He began to groan from the sharp stabs at his brain. It suddenly receded for a moment.

“ _Go kill him and I’ll make your pain go away.”_ Shukaku taunted.

_Fine…_

He headed to the Konoha Leaf Hospital a few blocks east of his inn. The pain began to pulse again in his temple. The demon liked to continuously let Gaara know he was still there. As if he could ever forget.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Baki rushed down the hall after checking on Gaara and finding he had vacated his room some time during the night. It was his job to make sure that his psychotic pupil did not get out of control per the Kazekage’s instructions. He had temporarily placed that burden on Temari and Kankuro, _a stupid mistake._ He finally reached his team’s hotel room and pounded on the door. It was 6:37 in the morning.

“OPEN UP! NOW!” He yelled, panicking.

Temari and Kankuro rushed to the door and flung it open to see the terrified face of their sensei.

“Idiots, I told you to keep your eyes on him. Where is he!?” Their sensei roared.

Temari and Kankuro gasped and looked at each other before running to the other room in their hotel to make sure Gaara wasn’t just sitting in a room somewhere. They stared at the empty room in disbelief and terror.

“Where… could he have gone?” Kankuro muttered.

Gaara did not really go anywhere in the sand village and spent most of his time indoors to avoid the blistering sun and daunting eyes of his village. This was the Kazekage’s wish. For Gaara to leave without notice was unexpected and _peculiarly rare._

“Let’s just hope nothing bad happens.”

Baki’s tone was grave and he did not have much hope himself, but the alternative would be a complete mission failure followed by the wrath of the Kazekage for mismanaging his _demon_ of a son.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The quiet sounds of the sand timer sifting through met with the soft clicks of Shogi pieces landing in precise and calculated positions. Shikamaru sat silently in the hospital room next to Naruto who had suffered serious injuries from the exams and was now under medical care.

_He looks dead._

He thought to himself, although Naruto always looked dead when he was asleep. He was the heaviest sleeper Shikamaru had ever met. Suddenly, the sand timer stopped.

_What the hell? Why is it clogged suddenly? What a drag._

Just then, Naruto also began to squirm in his bed and slowly opened his eyes.

“Hey.. you’re finally up.”

He was relieved to see his friend awake and alive for that matter.

“Where.. am I?”

Naruto’s head was still very fuzzy and his eyes hadn’t quite focused.

“The hospital. You passed out and haven’t woken up for three days.”

“Three days...”

He paused, processing the information.

“THREE DAYS!?”

He quickly jumped up, incredibly full of life for someone who had been out cold for that long.

“W-What.”

Shikamaru was amazed at his friend’s resilience.

“When does the final battle start!? I’ve lost so much time!!” he shrieked.

“Tomorrow...” He said hesitantly.

“WHAAAAAAAAT!??”

Naruto began to panic. He had no time to prepare. He grabbed Shikamaru by the shirt.

“Why didn’t you wake me up!??”

His shrill voice echoed through the hospital room.

“I can’t just be snoozing at a time like this! What about pervy sage??? He was supposed to help me with me training!”

“What on earth are you talking about?”

He had never heard of any kind of perverted sage. Naruto stared at him, panicked, and then let go of him to go look for his clothes.

“Where did my clothes go?? They’re missing!” he exclaimed, searching the entire hospital room and making a mess while he did so.

“Calm down!”

He was not normally loud, but Naruto was so loud that he felt he had to be.

_Jeez, who sleeps like they’re in a coma for three days and then has this much energy?_

Naruto froze in his tracks, bent over on the bed and squatting with a pillow in his hand.

“You know, one day of training isn’t going to make a difference. Resting is it’s own form of training too.”

Shikamaru tried to reason with him. Naruto sat back on the bed, pillow still in his arms with his head down.

“Hey.. Naruto? Are you good?” 

Naruto slowly turned his head, with tears in his eyes.

“I-I’m so… hungry.”

“Jeez, don’t scare me like that.”

He reached down under the bed to pull out a basket of fruit.

“I actually originally brought this for Choji, but the doctor said he can’t have solids right now so we can eat it.”

They had all endured rough battles from the exams.

“Is Choji okay?” Naruto asked, concerned for his friend.

“Hah, don’t worry.. he just ate too much and is now having stomach issues. He will be fine.”

Naruto let out a raspy belly laugh.

“That’s just like him.” He said with a big toothy smile.

Shikamaru handed him an apple and he started to bite, but then had an evil thought.

“Hehehe... What if we go eat it in front of him to mess with him?”

“That’s mean... Let’s go.” 

It was just fun and they meant no harm. Choji did this to himself, after all. The two mischievously got up and ran to Choji’s room. Choji lit up as he saw his hospital door open for a _floating basket of fruit?_ No, there was a hand there.

“Shikamaru, are you taunting me?” Choji asked sadly, but Shikamaru did not enter the room.

“Choji, are you feeling better?” Ino charmed.

She had been inspired by Sakura’s kindness and decided to take it upon herself to treat her own comrades with niceties. Choji grinned with glee. A pretty girl had brought him a gift in the hospital.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Outside the room in the hall, there was a dark aura creeping around the hospital. Gaara’s head felt like it would split in two. Shukaku had not been silent for the entirety of the night. He struggled to remain upright as the demon pounded on his skull. He would kill anyone at this point to make the demon shut up and stop the torment he had endured for the last several hours.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sakura carefully picked out flowers to bring to her comrades. Naruto and Lee had been so severely injured that they needed to stay at the hospital, although Lee’s condition was considerably worse. Being a ninja was dangerous, but it was the honorable path that she had chosen to defend and protect her friends and village.

She picked up a white flower and studied it carefully when a voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Sasuke’s not back yet, you know!” Ino piped up from the back of the flower shop causing Sakura to jump.

“I’m way ahead of you Sakura. I have all the Sasuke intel. Looks like you missed your chance!” Ino said, thinking that she would definitely hit a soft spot.

Sakura just felt bad for her at this point and part of her wanted to tell her the truth about Sasuke, but she could never do that.

“This flower is actually for Lee.” She said solemnly.

Ino looked at her, confused. She hadn’t known Sakura and Lee were that close.

“The one from before is wilting now.”

“Then I’m glad you’re placing it for him. Don’t worry about the price.”

Ino smiled softly at Sakura.

_That was wholesome as all hell!. Way to be awesome, Ino!_

“Thank you.”

Sakura smiled back before leaving the shop to visit the boys who had fought so valiantly for her.

When she arrived at the hospital, she immediately sensed something was off. _No one is here._ She approached the registration desk and signed herself in. As she was writing, the hair on her neck stood up. Her eyes grew wide and she turned around, sure that someone had been behind her.

_Still no one. Weird. This hospital is so creepy when it’s empty._

Sakura made her way to Lee’s hospital room. The presence of something dark was still lingering and even if it felt childish, she quickened her pace. She turned around momentarily to see what she thought was a shadow.

_What the hell was that?_ _Okay, Sakura. Knock it off. Just go drop off the damn flower and leave._

She finally made it to Lee’s room to see him sound asleep and recovering from the horrendous injuries he had sustained. She dropped off the flower and noticed his hair was messy. She took a moment to gently brush it into its usual shape.

_There._

She looked at him for another moment or so before leaving quickly.

_God this hospital is giving me the creeps today._

Once she was gone, the door to Lee’s room slid open once again. The presence in the hall had made it this far and the dark aura immediately took over the tiny hospital room. Gaara stood above Lee and watched him sleep peacefully for a few moments. Shukaku was going wild with excitement. He thought about their battle and how when he had tried to destroy Lee. His sensei had cared so much about him.

_I want to sever that bond..._

His mind began racing thinking about his childhood and how no one would ever defend him like that. He thought about the people who he thought he could trust who had severed that bond with him years ago. He began to experience the traumatic flashback of his uncle, who had pretended to care for so long… but then tried to kill him. Shukaku began screeching hysterically.

“KILL HIM. KILL HIM. KILL HIM.”

The demon stabbed at Gaara’s brain repeatedly. Gaara grabbed his hair and pulled hard to try to make the pain stop. It was the only self-inflicted pain the demon would allow him. He uncontrollably cried out from the intensity of his demon’s torments. He managed to reach behind him and remove the cork from his gourd, allowing his iron-rich sand to pour out and surround the unconscious Lee. He held out his trembling hand over Lee’s face, ready to use sand coffin and murder the unconscious boy before him. His breath was labored, and his eyes were blood shot.

_I'm so fucking tired...will you please let me sleep if I do this?_

Suddenly, he lost control of his body.

_I.. can’t move._

“YOU JERK!” Naruto suddenly screamed, punching Gaara directly in the cheek which in turn, also punched Shikamaru.

“What do you think you’re doing to Bushy Brow!?” Naruto demanded.

“Hey, Naruto. During shadow possession jutsu, everything you do to him affects me too. Got it?” Shikamaru said with irritation in his voice as he rubbed his cheek.

Gaara watched the scene before him, shocked by the sudden punch to the face. He had received more punches and kicks in the last week than he ever had in his life. The demon went completely silent and his headache faded as his sand defense chipped off of his skin.

_Finally._

“What were you trying to do, asshole!?” Naruto demanded.

He knew what Gaara was trying to do, but hoped it wasn’t true.

“I was trying to kill him.” He replied dryly.

He was calm now that the demon had finally left him alone. Shikamaru’s face contorted into a scowl.

_How could someone say that so calmly?_

“Why would you want to do something like that? You’ve already beat him. Do you have a personal grudge or something?” Shikamaru demanded.

“I don’t have anything like that. I just wanted to kill him. That’s it.”

He spoke as if killing the boy who was now behind him wouldn’t have been a notable act.

“How can you say something so selfish you bastard!?” Naruto exclaimed. 

“You had a lousy childhood, didn’t you? All you care about is yourself.” Shikamaru remarked.

_This guy freaks me out. If he tries anything, Naruto and I are done for. What should we do?_

“If you get in my way… I’ll kill you too.”

Gaara was not used to people sticking around for so long after proclaiming his desire to kill, but these two needed an extra push.

“What!? I’d like to see you try!” Naruto yelled back at him, full of fiery energy.

Gaara was surprised to be taken on so aggressively.

“Shut UP! Naruto.”

Shikamaru knew that this guy was bad news and as confident as Naruto was, they would be dead if they didn’t think of an evasive plan.

“We haven’t shown you everything at the preliminaries. We could keep up with you no problem. If you’re smart, you’ll do what we want and leave here especially with it being two against one, you have no chance.”

He tried to bluff as a desperate attempt to make the sand ninja back down.

Gaara become irate with the blatant lies.

“I’ll say it again, if you get in my way, I’ll kill you.”

“Huh!? There’s no way in hell I would let you do that!”

Naruto’s ego was too big to know what he was up against.

“I told you to back off, Naruto! This guy has the strength of a _monster._ ”

Shikamaru was more nervous than ever that this would end badly. Naruto winced at his use of the word but chose to use it. He figured that if others were afraid of it, this kid should be too. 

“I’ve got a real monster in me! I’m not going to lose to this guy.” 

Shikamaru nudged Naruto with his elbow, forcing Gaara do an awkward arm movement.

“Don’t piss this guy off more than he already is.” He said under his breath.

Gaara just watched them.

_Did he say... monster... inside him?_

“...me too.” Gaara said, now thinking the demon could have been right this entire time.

He had not been interested before, but he was interested in the blonde now. If there was someone else out there in the world who experienced the same torment, he would have to know.

_Let's see if he's really like me._

“You were right about my upbringing.” Gaara started. “It was terrible. When I was born, I took the life of the woman some might my mother. My father was the one to use that jutsu that possessed my body with a sand demon. I was born a monster.”

Narutos eyes became wide.

_Is he really just like me...?_

“Shukaku, the embodiment of the wrath of an old monk, is the spirit who possesses me. He had been sealed inside the tea cauldron up until he was released to be put inside of me.”

“To go that far, your family must have been insane… that’s a twisted kind of love.” Shikamaru said in amazement and fear of what the boy had gone through.

“Love…”

Gaara’s eyes seemed to glaze over.

“Don’t compare me to what you know.” He paused for a moment. “Family… Let me tell you what kind of ties I associate with them. They are ties of hatred and murderous intent. That is all I have ever known. They are lumps of flesh to me. I have been crafted into the masterpiece of my village with my mother’s blood and body by the will of the Kazekage, my father. He taught me the innermost secrets of the shinobi. He spoiled me with gifts and had constant protection, but I was left alone. I thought that was love.”

Naruto and Shikamaru watched him explain in horror. Naruto began to tremble. That life could have been his. 

“…until that incident happened.”

Gaara’s tone suddenly changed from being calm to having his voice shake with anxiety.

“The incident?” Shikamaru cautiously inquired.

Gaara bit his bottom lip, put his head down and did not speak for several moments.

“What happened?”

Naruto needed to know. He suddenly had a desperate need to know everything. Gaara's eyes suddenly grew crazed and he had a terrifying smile as he recalled the events of what had happened that night. He spoke with excitement in his voice.

“In the six years from the time I was six years old… my father has tried to assassinate me more times than I can count!”

Shikamaru looked at the boy in terror. The dysfunction of Gaara's family was too foreign of a concept for him. Despite his complaints, he was incredibly loved and cared for. 

“But I thought you just said that he spoiled you…how does that make sense?”

“Those who are too strong are doomed to become feared… the jutsu made my mind unstable. I guess the guys in my village finally realized that I had emotional problems. For my father, I was a weapon for the village, but he realized the damage I would do around age 6 and became incredibly fearsome of me. He was nice to me because he was afraid of me. They all wish I would disappear.”

He paused for another moment and looked at the ground. Naruto stared at him with immense sadness and horror in his eyes.

_This boy knows what it was like. He knows everything._

“For a while I didn’t know why I was alive, and I tried to hurt and kill myself on multiple occasions, but the sand demon inside me would not allow me to die. I could not find the answer to the point of living. I needed to find a reason, so it didn’t feel like I was dead each day.”

Naruto stared at him in shock.

_I understand you._

He wanted to scream it at the boy, but words would not form in his mouth. He hated that he was empathizing with a serial killer. It was haunting to him. 

_You’re not alone._

“So… I came to the conclusion that I was going to kill everyone. Any living human being other than myself deserves to die. After living so long afraid of being murdered by my father, I finally became calm. Killing the people who came after me confirmed the reason I live. I live fighting for myself and I love only myself. Other people only exist to make me realize that there is no one more wonderful than I. As long as I keep killing others it will provide me with the happiness, I need to stay alive. I will never disappear.”

Shikamaru stared at him with eyes wide.

_This dude is nuts._

Naruto was panicking, frozen in place.

_I_ _felt the same way as him._

_I wanted to die because I did not have a reason for living and then I met Iruka -Sensei. He saved my life. If I hadn’t had him, would I be just like Gaara?_

_How can there be someone like this who kills for happiness? There’s no way I can beat someone like him._

Naruto took a step back, terrified of the possibility that someone like him existed.

“What’s wrong, Naruto.” Shikamaru asked.

“Y-you’re… just like me.” He mumbled.

Gaara watched him, carefully.

_No one is like me. Die, liar._

He suddenly pulled his sand up from Lee. Even though he couldn’t move, he was still able to bring his sand up for an attack. He sent his sand directly at the two other boys in full force.

“Let me feel it!” He yelled, desperate to feel the fleeting moments of relief from his anguish after he killed.

“THAT’S ENOUGH.” A voice boomed from the door.

“There’s no need to rush. The exams are tomorrow.” Might Guy said gravely. “Or do you want to stay here starting today?”

Gaara’s attention immediately turned and the sand dropped to the floor. He stared at the Jounin who had made way for him to leave.

_It was that guy who had protected the one called Lee earlier who had been fast and strong enough to destroy his attack. Fucking Fine. I will wait one more agonizing day._

Suddenly, the demon awoke again and jabbed at Gaara’s brain. He bent over, his head pounding and relived the flashback of his uncle killing him again. He pulled his sand back into his ground and walked out of the door slowly as his body trembled.

“I’ll… kill you all without fail. Just wait.”

He needed to make sure they knew he was coming for them. 


	15. A Path to Acceptance

The final phase of the Chunin Exams had begun. The crowd sitting in the enormous stadium was alive with constant chattering with various people from the surrounding villages and nations. The sky was a beautiful cloudless azure and the air was crisp. Naruto shifted his weight anxiously at the bottom of the stadium next to his competitors.

_Where the fuck is he?_

Sasuke was nowhere to be found and the exams were about to begin. He knew Sasuke wouldn’t miss this for the world. It had been _weeks_ since they had seen each other. He missed him desperately and longed to see his face again.

_He’ll show up. Slow-ass._

It had been revealed that Naruto’s fight was to be up against Neji Hyuuga, a genius from the Hyuuga clan. He was not used to being watched and cheered for by this many people. It was incredibly nerve wracking and exhilarating at the same time.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The 3rd Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat stoically on his designated throne at the top of his stadium. The Kazekage had not yet arrived and neither had Sasuke Uchiha. He gestured to his aide who approached immediately.

“Where is the boy?” Hiruzen asked.

“We don’t have information yet sir. Anbu are searching the land thoroughly.”

The aide bent over to whisper in the Hiruzen's ear.

“He may have already been captured by Orochimaru in which case we would not be able to find him.”

He was already calculating his next several moves.

"I understand."

The Kazekage finally arrived with his aide and took his place next to Hiruzen.

“Well-well. Look who has finally arrived.” He started. “You must be tired, coming all this way.”

“No, I’m glad the stadium is in the leaf village. Even though you are still young, the journey would be tough for you. Shouldn’t you be deciding on a 5th Hokage by now?” He said with menace.

Hiruzen was quiet for a moment before laughing aloud. His aide glared suspiciously at the Kazekage.

“Please don’t treat me like an old person.” He said with a smile. “I’m planning on being Hokage for years from now.”

He got up and approached the guard rail.

“I suppose it’s time to begin now, isn’t it?”

He announced to the stadium using a booming voice that the exams had begun.

“Isn’t there supposed to be an eighth?” Asked the Kazekage.

The Hokage did not respond, but secretly seethed in anger thinking about the destruction Orochimaru would do using the Uchiha.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Gaara peered up at his father from the stadium floor and glared daggers in his direction.

 _If only I could kill him from here... and where is that Uchiha?_ _Did I scare him away?_

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sakura bounced her leg nervously in the stands as she watched the fight begin between Neji and Naruto. Not only was Naruto getting his ass handed to him, Sasuke hadn’t arrived yet. She hoped desperately that he had not been taken by Orochimaru and was safe somewhere. There had been no word from Kakashi either so she could only wish that they were at least together.

“Hey…” Ino interrupted her thoughts. “It’s going to be okay. Sasuke will come. Look, Naruto is holding his own against Neji. That’s impressive as hell. You should cheer for him for now.”

Sakura looked over at her rival and truly her best friend. They had been talking more regularly since her visits at the flower shop. Apparently beating eachother at the exams was just the medicine their friendship needed. 

“You’re right, Ino.” She smiled.

“With that being said, there’s no way Naruto will win, though. This is _Neji_ after all.”

“You don’t know that.” Sakura said with a serious tone. “He’s cooler than you think, Ino.”

She had seen what Naruto could do and she would never underestimate him again. Ino looked at her, somewhat surprised and paused for a few moments. 

“Soooooo does that mean you have a crush on him and I can have Sas- OW!”

Sakura flicked her hard in the arm. Ino rubbed it and glared at Sakura.

“Did you ever stop and think that maybe he wouldn't _want_ to date you, Ino?" 

"Well he _might._ You don't know. Why? What do you know?"

Ino was immediately suspicious. 

_Dammit Ino._

"Oh, I don't know. He just doesn't seem interested in dating anyone."

"Why? Because he won't date you?"

Sakura fought the urge to flick her again. _Harder._

"Ugh... no, I mean... he's never really dated a girl before." 

"Which is part of why it's so _romantic._ He's probably saving himself for the right one... which could be _me."_

Sakura hung her head in defeat. Ino would just have to move on eventually. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

“Naruto Uzumaki!, Neji Hyuuga! Please stay on the battlefield and the rest of you go to the waiting room.” The proctor announced.

Naruto glared in Neji’s direction, thinking about what he had said in the last round.

“ _A loser is a loser. You can’t change your path.”_

“I said it before and I will say it again.” He held out his tightly clenched fist. “I’ll win no matter what.”

“That will make it worthwhile for me. I look forward to your face of disappointment when I win.”

Neji activated his Byuakugan and got into his signature fighting style position. He inched forward toward Naruto who suddenly threw shuriken hurling at Neji. Naruto took off, running directly at his opponent.

_A stupid mistake._

Neji countered the attack perfectly followed by a few more reckless attacks from the blonde. Finally, Neji had a chance and pressed his palm firmly against Naruto’s body with concentrated chakra causing him to be pushed in the opposite direction. Naruto gasped for breath. Neji followed with another concentrated jab of chakra aimed directly at his throat. Naruto moved just in time, but the blow still hit him like a thousand tiny needles in the shoulder. The situation was becoming clear.

_I can only fight him from a distance._

“Do you realize how the odds are against you now?” Neji mocked.

“I was just testing you to get started!” Naruto retorted before activating four of his shadow clones.

He came at his opponent from all corners and attempted his Uzumaki Barrage.

_Yes! The hit connected._

One of his clones sent Neji’s body flying into the air, or so he had thought. The impact did not feel right. Neji had jumped backward, narrowly missing the blonde's kick on purpose. He landed gracefully on his feet.

Naruto did not waste time and rushed him again, but Neji blocked him each time with ease. It was easier than basic training for him. Naruto finally began to worry.

_Shit, he’s untouchable. It’s like he has eyes on the back of his head._

Neji destroyed Naruto’s last standing shadow clone and then looked at him.

“So _you’re_ going to become Hokage? For you, it would be impossible. Everything has a set path. You cannot change your purpose even if it’s to lose. Your fate has already been determined.”

“Why are you so damn judgmental!?” Naruto snarled.

“Are you saying that anyone can be Hokage? There’s a tiny chance of reaching that status. The people who lead our village were chosen to lead. It was destiny. The only way people could truly be equal is in death.” Neji said, feeling cocky that he was correct.

Naruto lowered his head for a moment, but then looked up with a bright face of confidence and a wide smile.

“Look, I don’t know about your hateful Hyuuga destiny bull SHIT, but WHEN. I become Hokage, I’m going to change the Hyuuga!”

Naruto’s chakra flowed strongly through his system. He concentrated what he could in his fist. He still wasn’t very good at controlling it, but because of the sheer amount of chakra he had, it caused an explosion on impact with Neji’s twisting attack. They both were sent hurling into the ground. The spectators could not tell who was who until Neji slowly crawled out of the small crater his body had created. He forced his aching body to stand and walked over to the other crater to see Naruto’s lifeless body. 

_I told you, you can’t change desti- !!!_

In a fraction of a second, Naruto flew from underground and landed an incredible upper cut perfectly square on Neji’s jaw. He flew back, blood flying through the air from his mouth, and collided with the compacted dirt.

“M-my body. I can’t move _._ ” Neji managed to choke out in between spittle of blood in his mouth. 

Naruto approached him. 

“Everyone has always expected me to fail.” Naruto said calmly at first. “…and I did… a lot, but I never chose to believe them and guess what!? I started succeeding!” he spoke with pride in his voice.

All Neji could do was stare.

_Did I just win?_

The sounds of the crowd started as a murmur, but then suddenly began to rage with cheers for the Jinchūriki. Naruto watched in amazement while his village cheered for him. The tears welled in his eyes as he stared up at all the people who now respected him and rooted for him.

_They're cheering... for me?_

“What are you doing? Go say thank you to your fans!”

The proctor nudged Naruto with a grin on his face.

Naruto did his best to wipe away his years and turned back and smiled before happily running around the stadium floor, waving to people, and even blowing kisses at the crowd.

_Are you cheering too, Sasuke?_

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Kabuto sat on top of a tall tree outside the stadium to watch the fights. An Abnu soldier’s body laying limply at his feet. He removed the soldier’s mask and placed it on his own face.

_That was entertaining, Naruto. Thank you. I have a tough job ahead of me._


	16. My Blood

Shikamaru and Temari stood staring at each other as he raised his right hand with her trapped in his shadow possession jutsu.

“I forfeit.” Shikamaru stated blandly.

The crowd gasped and instantly began to murmur with irritation. Temari stared at him, shocked.

_What in the world?_

“My chakra is running low and you have the full advantage. I’ve already lost this fight so I would rather end it now than see out my end.” He said casually.

“You know, you’re pretty smart... for a boy.” Temari joked.

“Tch.”

Naruto watched the scene play out and was immediately disgruntled.

“WHY DID HE GIVE UP!? Is he STUPID!?” He screamed as he began climbing the guard rail to confront his friend.

He made his way down to the lower levels and then leaped off the tall wall that separated the arena from the stadium.

“DUMB ASS! Why did you quit!?” Naruto demanded once he was face to face with Shikamaru.

“SHUDDUP BIGGER DUMBASS!” Shikamaru retorted with a smirk on his face. “Forget about that already. Don’t you know who the next fight is?”

Naruto’s face lit up.

_Now Sasuke has to show up. I know he will._

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Gaara's gaze anxiously shifted back and forth to the stadium entrances.

_That Uchiha better not have run away from me._

He had waited for this for days. He had watched Naruto gleefully jump around the stadium after his win and he could not wait to destroy his happiness along with the Uchiha. The board read ‘Gaara of the Desert vs. Sasuke Uchiha.’, but Sasuke was no where to be found. The crowd was anxious for the fight to begin and they had already been waiting 10 minutes. 

The Hokage’s aide whispered in his ear.

“The crowd is becoming disgruntled. Should we just disqualify him?”

The Kazekage’s gaze instantly shifted in the direction of the Hokage which was noticed again by the aide.

“We have no choice. There are no exceptions. Even for the Uchiha.”

Just then, gusts of wind entered throughout the stadium forming a ball of leaves and wind at the bottom of the arena. Dust picked up from the ground and formed a cloud above the swirling ball. The wind stopped and the cloud settled to reveal Sasuke and Kakashi had appeared using a showy entrance. The entire stadium cheered wildly. Naruto’s face beamed. 

_There he is!_

He looked a little different too, wearing black clothes and his hair had grown.

“Sasuke!! You’re here!” Naruto said excitedly.

He was elated to see his crush again. Sasuke couldn't help but smile a little back despite telling himself he would not react. The truth was that he had missed him too. 

“I take it from how excited you are, you won the last match?” 

“Of course. What else did you expect?”

“Sorry we’re late by the way.” Kakashi said sheepishly.

“Sasuke… don’t lose to a guy like that.”

He nodded. Naruto was worried about him going up against the scariest guy there.

_Should I tell him?_

“Also…I...”

Naruto paused. Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows.

_You what._

“uh... haha… I want to fight you too!”

He smiled at his teammate as he and Shikamaru headed for the stairs to go back to their seats. 

“Yeah...”

The type of fight they would eventually need to have would not be something he wanted to do. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The demon Shukaku was excitedly cackling within the depths of Gaara’s soul.

_“_ _IT’S TIME IT’S TIME IT’S TIME.”_

Every time it spoke, it was followed by insane cackling. Gaara looked on, joyous at the arrival of his prey. His face stretched into a mischievous grin. Kankuro and Temari looked at him, terrified of if what they were planning would work in their favor or if he was about to fuck it up for everyone.

“Hey… Gaara..” Kankuro started, but Temari had quickly slapped her hand across his face.

“Don’t. You’ll be killed.” 

Gaara heard his name being called in the arena which excited the demon more.

_Calm down._

He tried to focus. This would have to happen quickly before someone could stop him from the sidelines. He began to slowly walk toward the stairs, desperate to destroy _something._

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Shikamaru and Naruto bantered back and forth as they went up the stairs. The two were old friends and had a rhythm to their speech together. It just came naturally.

“Hold up.”

Shikamaru held out his arm in front of Naruto. He peered up the stairs to see Gaara and the two ninjas who blocked his path. The two watched the scene before them cautiously, out of sight from Gaara. 

Gaara stood before two cocky hidden mist ninjas, determined to win some money off betting on Gaara winning.

“These low-level tournaments are great for betting--” 

Before he finished his sentence, Gaara’s sand had already rapidly escaped his gourd and had sent shards throughout each of their bodies. It left their corpses disfigured and their innards splattered in various directions. The stench of blood encapsulated the hall and crept toward Naruto and Shikamaru's hiding spot. They looked on in horror as Gaara slowly made his way down the stairs past them. Once he had turned the corner, they sat on the nearest step, instantly relieved to be alive.

“If those two hadn’t have been there, that would have been us.” Shikamaru said, acknowledging he had a near death experience. “He killed with such little hesitation.”

Naruto was immediately panicking for Sasuke. This could end horribly… he might have to intervene and embarrass him, but it would be only to save his life.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Kakashi moseyed his way to where Sakura, Ino, and Naruto had been sitting.

“Hey Sakura! … Uh.. Sorry Sorry! I know I should have sent word!” He cheered.

“That doesn’t matter anymore.”

Sakura was irritated with Kakashi, but it was mild compared to her worry for Sasuke. He had to go up against this demon.

_What if it went wrong? He could be killed._

“Kakashi-Sensei?” She looked up at him with wide eyes. “Is his… mark okay?”

“Don’t worry, we’ve got it under control.” He smiled.

Kakashi looked around to noticed that many Anbu ninja were missing. Usually for these events, they would be swarming the stadium to protect the people if any foreign ninja went rogue.

_Had they been deployed elsewhere? What was going on?_

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

_Finally, he’s mine._

Gaara began to laugh softly. He was giddy with excitement.

Sasuke stared at him, creeped out by this psychopath who held his entire future in his hands.

_If anything got out… if anyone believed him. I’m done._

“Begin!” The proctor announced and stepped away from the arena.

Gaara immediately popped off his cork and let his sand roam free. He was so ready it hurt, but the demon was getting too excited and his headaches had re-emerged. It was trying to take over to kill the Uchiha itself. The voice stopped and instantly changed into a woman’s voice.

“ _MY SON! JUST KILL HIM FOR ME. PLEASE? KILL HIM FOR MOMMY. YOU’RE TAKING TOO FUCKING LONG. KILL HIM!”_

“Don’t… get so angry…. Mother.. hah.. haha...”

Gaara clutched his right eye with a wild grin on his face. It felt like something was trying to explode behind it.

_“HOW DARE YOU FEED ME THAT FILTH. I WANT PURE **UCHIHA BLOOD**!!” _

The demon masking his mother’s voice began to rally him. It had been looking for a way to escape and this was its chance.

“I fed you some nasty blood earlier… I’m sorry…. But this time... It will be delicious.”

Gaara’s permanent sadistic grin faced Sasuke as he spoke about him to his “mother”. He watched nervously from across the arena.

_Okay, this is fucking terrifying._

Gaara suddenly stopped from much mental effort to calm the excitement within him. He could feel himself getting lost in the demon's psyche. He was not ready to let it take over just yet. Not to mention, it hurt like a motherfucker. The only thing was that whenever he gave in to his own sick obsession, the demon would run rampant. He wanted to feel it. The thought nearly caused his demon to let loose again. He would have to end it now.

“Come.” He commanded, knowing full-well the Uchiha would obey.

Sasuke reacted in an instant and threw shurikens directly at Gaara. In a quicker moment, Gaara was able to form a near complete clone of himself with his sand to block the attack. He used the sand clone to shoot shards of sand in Sasuke’s direction causing Sasuke to jump high in the air.

He quickly dove down and ran with incredible speed around Gaara, landing multiple kicks on the clone and nearly one to Gaara’s face. If it weren’t for the sand that came from below to block the Uchiha’s punch, he would have hit him.

In an instant, he was behind Gaara. His Sharingan allowed him to surpass Gaara’s speed with ease. Sasuke rushed Gaara and landed a hard right hook against his cheek, throwing him several feet, but his blow to the ground was still cushioned by the sand.

“So that’s the ultimate defense. Come on.”

He arrogantly motioned for Gaara to come back at him. He felt more confident now that he had landed a punch.

_The training paid off._

Sasuke skidded around to Gaara’s blind spot again and made contact again, this time with a brutal kick to the lower jaw.

_Got him._

He was enjoying this. It had been what he wanted since he met the asshole.

“I’m going to rip off that armor of yours.” 

He began running circles around Gaara at full speed comparable only to Rock Lee’s without weights on his legs. Gaara couldn’t keep up with him.

_This shit again. Fuck._

Sasuke’s kick made a hard impact causing Gaara to stagger backward. He grabbed him with both hands before he could take another step and kneed him hard in the stomach causing Gaara to collapse to the ground. The armor around his face was falling off and he was breathing heavily.

“ _LET ME OUT LET ME OUT LET ME OUT!!”_

The demon was incessant at this point. It would not accept anything other than _that_ jutsu. Gaara stared at the Uchiha. It would be worth the risk to kill him. The sand began gathering around his feet to form a sphere around him. 

_Fuck the plan. I'm getting what I deserve._

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Naruto sat on the steps with Shikamaru. They had been too afraid to move for a few moments and then had sat in silence while they both appreciated their lives. Naruto began to come back to reality and it set in hard.

_If Gaara was a Jinchūriki just like him… this would end terribly if Sasuke pushed him too far. I need to end it.. Fuck, I can’t end it. He’s gonna KILL me, but I have to or else… rrrggg!!_

Naruto stood up with a determined look on his face.

“I have to end this fight.”

He immediately began running back up the steps to find Kakashi to let him know it wasn’t safe. Shikamaru followed closely on his feet. Naruto was pushing by people and jumping over heads when necessary. He finally reached them.

“Kakashi-Sensei! We have to stop this fight!” He said in panicked words.

Upon seeing his sensei’s one-eyed expression of disbelief, he made his case further.

“He’s totally different from us. He wants to kill Sasuke no matter what and not to mention...” he lowered his voice and got closer to Kakashi. “He’s like me.”

He pointed to his belly. Naruto gulped. Kakashi understood Naruto’s concern, but had full confidence in Sasuke.

“Just watch him.” Kakashi replied. “He---”

“We don’t have time for this!” Naruto interjected.

_Why doesn’t he understand how dangerous it would be to even injure Gaara!?_

He was fed up with people not taking himself seriously as a Jinchūriki and now it was happening with Gaara too.

“I promise, you’ll be surprised.” Kakashi said confidently.

Naruto gritted his teeth.

“You’ll eat your words.” He said in a grave voice with his head down.

“Naruto!” Sakura yelled. “Don’t be so disrespectful to Kakashi-Sensei!”

“It’s okay, Sakura.” Kakashi replied, now studying the blonde, and second guessing himself.

He wondered if there really was going to be a problem during this fight. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The two older sand siblings looked on in horror as their young brother ruined their plan. Their father would have their heads for it but Gaara would be left alone. This infuriated Kankuro and made him despise his brat of a little brother more. For all he knew, Gaara had lived a special privileged life and got to do whatever he wanted. They were always separate except on missions, so they really weren’t like real siblings. A real sibling also wouldn’t constantly threaten to murder his own brother for bullshit reasons.

He watched Gaara’s third eye form above the sand sphere.

“Why is he using _that_ jutsu!? This is bad, he’s completely forgotten about the plan.”

Temari was fearful more of her brother, but the scorn that she would receive for failing this mission was daunting too. She would need to forget about the mission completely if necessary. For a moment, she recalled a memory of them when they were very young. It was from before Gaara was considered dangerous. He had tried to share his fruit with her with a bright smile on his face. He could not have been older than three. He didn’t always act this way, but one day he had changed. She knew that her father had tried to kill him more than once. She could not imagine the pain he must have been in, but she didn’t know how to help him. Any time they had too long of a conversation, it seemed to end with him wanting her or Kankuro to die. 

“Damn, once he’s like this there’s nothing that can be done.” Kankuro said while contemplating if he should just run away and abandon the mission himself to safe his own skin.

“Damn it, Gaara, he’s not going to see the signal.”

Baki was preparing to fail the mission. The Kazekage had been mental for even considering using Gaara in the first place.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sasuke watched the ball of sand surround his opponent and went after the last remaining opening just in front of Gaara’s face. He ran as fast as he could, punch ready, but the opening sealed shut and the ball shot out daggers of sand across Sasuke’s body upon impact. The ball had become so hard that he broke his right ring finger. Blood was gushing out from the cuts the daggers had caused. It hurt, but that pain was nothing for him now. He jumped back and thought for a moment.

_Time to try it out._

Sasuke ran up the side of the arena wall and began to concentrate his chakra forming electric currents through his hand. Kakashi had successfully taught him the _Chidori._ He would end it all, right now. In a moment, Sasuke sped down the wall and darted toward the sand sphere, holding the hand with the Chidori still with his other arm to keep it stable.

The demon was speaking to Gaara in his mother’s voice again, trying to get him to leap over the edge and allow it to finally be free.

“ _How will you do it, my son? I should hope it will be brutal.”_

“Yeah… I’m going to rip off his head.”

Gaara spoke quietly at first.

“ _How exciting! And then what?”_ The demon’s voice squealed.

“I’m going to crack open his skull, so his brain comes out.”

He began to chuckle to himself.

“ _Oh, honey, that is delightful! And then what?”_

“Then, tons of blood will flow out and you can have it all!”

The same horrifying smile had crept onto his face again.

_“You’re such a good boy, Gaara!”_

“I’m always a good boy.”

He let out a sinister cackle.

_“I’ll be watching. Go ahead now, **do it.** ” _

“Yeah..Let’s do it, Mother!” He screamed.

In an instant, Gaara’s fantasied were interrupted. Sasuke flew full force into the sand sphere using his Chidori, penetrating the sand orb completely. Sasuke’s arm was now elbow deep in the sand. He felt his palm connect with Gaara on the inside of the orb.

“I’ve got you.”

“Mother.. What’s… this warm stuff?” 

Gaara spoke in a much more innocent and somehow increasingly terrifying voice.

“Aahh.. it.. hurts..”

Gaara had never bled before in his life up until this moment. The pain set in and he realized he was bleeding. The demon began to shriek like a thousand wounded unearthly creatures. The horrifyingly monstrous sound caused Gaara to scream too.

“UUUUUUAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHGHHHH!!!”

Gaara’s voice bellowed from sphere to where the entire stadium could hear him.

“IT’S MY **BLOOD**!!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music this chapter - Pleasure Through Pain by Excessum


	17. Hatred

Sasuke felt _something_ grab his arm. He instinctively tried to jerk his arm back but was now stuck inside the hardened sand. He struggled for several moments before finally being able to pull himself back to reveal a non-human, hooked arm grasping his own. 

_What the fuck is that!?_

He bounded backward to avoid being attacked by the veiny arm flying toward him at impressive speeds. It pulsed disgustingly with razor sharp claws protruding everywhere. As if it was alive, it realized it's prey was out of reach and retreated back into the hole. Sasuke stared with eyes wide, terrified of what he might see lurking in the darkness.

The hair stood up on his neck as a yellow eye with strange pupils looked back at him with blood lust. It disappeared as soon as it had come followed with loud cracking of the sand sphere. It began to lose its form and fall to the ground revealing a bleeding Gaara who was clutching his gushing wound on his left shoulder. He stood motionless and was breathing hard.

_That eye wasn’t Gaara’s… so what the hell was looking at me?_

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Kankuro looked down at his little brother, frozen with fear.

_That was **it’s** arm. _

He thought back about the first time he had seen it come out as a child. He had run away then and he would do it again now if it meant saving his own life. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Kakashi and Guy looked at eachother, both understanding what was happening. A mysterious genjutsu had taken over the stadium and presented itself with falling feathers throughout. The guests and less experienced ninja fell subject to the attack immediately fell asleep. They, being much more experienced, freed themselves from the attack with ease. 

“Release!” 

Sakura followed suit. Her anxiety began to consume her. Something was seriously wrong. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Baki-Sensei looked to where the Kazekage had been sitting.

_Kabuto must have activated the genjutsu. The time is almost here._

The Kazekage looked at the Hokage.

“Shall we?” The Kazekage said slyly.

A massive explosion erupted outside of the village and three large snakes appeared, ready to devour whatever came in their way.

_The plan has begun._

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Chaos erupted around the village as the snakes began doing damage to the boundary gates. Undercover ninja jumped from their hiding positions and the Kazekage’s aides immediately moved to attack only to be severed completely in half by Konoha’s expert Anbu soldiers. The Kazekage had taken the Hokage at knife point. He led the other village leader away to a rooftop near by the stadium. Orochimaru’s loyal subjects waited patiently on top of the roof and immediately performed a barrier jutsu around them so that no one could get in.

The Hokage finally spoke.

“For the sand to betray the leaf like this...”

“An alliance is only useful as camouflage to make the enemy relax. From here, history changes. These stupid fighting games will cease to exist.”

“Do you really want to start a war? There is still time to negotiate and work out our differences.” 

“Is that what old age has done to you? Made you peaceful?... _Sarutobi-Sensei_ ”

The Kazekage held his kunai closer to the older man’s face.

Sarutobi’s eyes grew wide upon realizing that he had been an imposter.

“ _You_.”

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Gaara’s team jumped from the stadium seats and into the bottom of the arena where their brother was hunched over, grabbing his hair tightly. The demon had almost escaped, and it was not about to stop trying now that it had gotten close. It pounded against Gaara’s head with the force of an earthquake. He heard his siblings trying to talk to him but could not understand what they were saying. The only response he was capable of at that moment was a groan. Temari kneeled beside her brother and put her hand on his back. She knew that it hurt.

“Fool! Trying to transform before you heard the signal.”

Baki-Sensei scolded Gaara. He did not realize how lucky he was that his words fell upon deaf ears. 

“He’s experiencing the side effects of it.”

Temari ignored her sensei and turned toward her other brother.

“We can’t go on now.”

“Then what the fuck are we supposed to do!? Just do it without Gaara!?” Kankuro blurted. 

Their sensei scowled and contemplated his options for a moment.

“Abort the mission. Take Gaara and retreat. Get him out of the village.”

“What will you do?” Temari asked, concerned.

“I am going to stay here and fight. Now go! Immediately!”

Kankuro put Gaara’s arm around his shoulder and grabbed him by his waste. He jumped up to exit the stadium with Temari behind him.

 _This gourd is so heavy and god it smells. How does he carry it around being as small as he is?_

Baki-Sensei stood face to face with the proctor.

“Is the leader of this party Orochimaru to exact revenge on the village?” Asked the proctor in a serious tone.

“Who knows, let’s just start the fun.”

Baki-Sensei was ready for a good fight and even if the plan had gone to shit, he was happy to battle. 

Sasuke watched the insanity play out before him, confused as to what was happening.

“What’s going on!?” He demanded.

“Go after Gaara. The Chunin exams are over. You’re already at the Chunin level. Now go and make yourself useful.”

Sasuke was surprised at the statement at first, but his attention quickly shifted to what he had to do. He would go after Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro and conquer them on his own. He jumped to the top of the arena and sped after them. Kakashi watched, afraid for his safety, but he could not go after him now.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The imposter Kazekage cackled.

“Your foolishness and your hatred of those who aren’t like you have caused this village to fall completely.”

“It’s not over until it’s over.” Sarutobi affirmed. “I thought I taught you that people can always change and do the right thing.”

“The right thing…,” the man hissed, “Would be to accept those as they are and push them to their greatest limits, but you could never understand my potential.”

He put his hand to his face and began pulling the skin away to reveal himself as Sarutobi-Sensei’s once prized pupil, _Orochimaru._

“I thought that this day may come, but our traditional values and what I stand for will not so easily be conquered. You know as well as I that I defended you for a long time.” Saritobi replied gravely.

“I told you, you should pick the 5th, because I will kill you here.” Orochimaru whispered into the older man’s ear.

Tears had formed in his eyes at his sensei’s response. He knew that the Hokage would not budge on the matter, but a part of him still had hoped. Without warning, he lunged the kunai he had been threatening his sensei with into his other hand causing blood to gush and drip down Sarutobi’s clothing.

_At last I can be free._

“Trying to kill your own master and yet you still exhibit some kind of sadness?” Sarutobi inquired.

“No, just tired. I yawned and a tear came out. That’s all.”

He did not expect that his sensei would understand the true source of his tears.

“That’s what I thought.” He replied. “I know you aren’t just trying to get revenge. You don’t have any morals, do you? You’re just doing this for the fun of it, aren’t you?”

“Perhaps, but I enjoy watching things that hate me crumble to the ground.”

_It was time to settle this._

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

“So what kind of person is this Orochimaru?”

The Anbu officer stood on top of a building with Ibiki, the first Chunin exams instructor and Konoha interrogator.

“He’s a _faggot._ ” Ibiki said, with intense hatred in his voice.

Ibiki had been in interrogations for over two decades. He understood the innerworkings of the mind better than most. Any mental process, to him, was a choice. The controller of that mind was in charge of making themselves fall in line accordingly. He did not like anything that did not present itself as one or the other. In his mind, everything was absolute. Neat, and orderly. To waiver from that order was an _abomination._ He seethed as he thought of how Orochimaru had not only played with life and death, but also within the realms of deplorable sexual acts which would be better left unmentioned. It was because of Orochimaru's _sins_ that he now had his means to correct the youth who dared deviate from his precious and concise normalcy. His facility was his sanctuary and only in his wildest dreams had he been able to proudly put Orochimaru within it's bars and leave him there for an eternity. 

“He was originally in line to become Hokage, but then his disgusting secrets were learned. We took the appropriate action, but he escaped and defected from the village,” said Ibiki. 

“Revenge?” 

“Yes, something like that. Pathetic piece of shit was never thinking of the greater good and only thinking of himself.”

A leaf Jounin landed on the rooftop next to them.

“REPORT: Three giant serpents have appeared at the eastern leaf entrance! And approximately 100 Sand ninjas have invaded the village!”

“Get in contact with the commander with the East Gate! Have all shinobi move out and assume their positions!” He roared back.

“Yes sir!”

The ninja nodded and left in a haste.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

“Sakura!”

Kakashi called out to her.

“Go wake Naruto and Shikamaru.”

He spun and attacked an oncoming Sand ninja by hurling his kunai through his opponents’ neck, killing him in an instant. Sakura watched Kakashi ruthlessly destroy every ninja that came toward him.

_He’s incredible._

She nodded her head and ran to her comrades.

Kakashi noticed the trouble on the roof visible on the stadium. Orochimaru was here and he would be fighting the Hokage. He knew that Sarutobi would not go down without a fight. He had to do his part and destroy whatever intruders he could.

“Listen carefully.”

He turned toward Sakura before she was able to wake the two boys. She turned her full attention toward him.

“This will be your first A rank mission since the wave country mission.”

She felt herself become autonomic to do whatever Kakashi was about to say. She had adrenaline pumping through her veins and she held no fear. Her expression went from surprised to serious.

“What do you need me to do, Sensei?”

After what she had been through, she felt she could handle anything.

“Sasuke is in pursuit of Gaara and his team. You are to nullify Shikamaru and Naruto’s genjutsu and the four of you will track them down.”

She breathed in a nervous breath and shook her head. This mission would be difficult, but she would do what she had to do. She turned to her comrades and released both of their genjutsus with ease. She was truly something of an unrecognized genius.

_Wait, did he say four of us?_

“Who is the fourth member?”

She looked at him confused. Kakashi quickly performed a summoning jutsu and the pug spirit Pakkun appeared.

“The last person.. is this puppy?” She asked, confused.

“Hey missy, I ain’t no puppy.” Pukkun retorted in a deep voice.

She looked at him with surprise, but there was no time to go over why Kakashi had a talking dog only a summon away. 

“Go, quickly.”

Kakashi jumped away to continue the battle. Sakura and Pakkun acted quickly. She hid below the seat rows to reach where they were lying unconscious on the ground.

“Release!”

She released Naruto’s first. He came to and sat up.

“Huh… w-what happened..?” He said, still slightly dazed.

“Get down!”

Sakura shoved him down out of sight from any potential enemies.

“I will tell you later.”

Pakkun walked up to Shikamaru and inspected him for a moment before biting his leg.

“OOOOOWWW!”

He angrily picked up Pakkun by the scruff of his neck who found his first chance to bite again in order to be dropped.

“SSHHHHH!!! You were able to deflect the genjutsu too!? You’ve been playing POSSOM!?” Sakura only half whispered in her attempt to control her anger. 

“I don’t want to be attacked. Who cares about Sasuke, anyway? I refuse.” He protested.

Suddenly, a sand ninja appeared directly behind Naruto, ready to attack.

“Naruto look out!” Sakura screamed.

Before the ninja could attack, Might Guy sent a punch harder than a freight train through the ninja’s stomach and the wall behind him, creating a hole in the stadium.

“Go find Sasuke. Quickly!” Kakashi commanded.

Naruto could hear the panic in his sensei’s voice.

“Wait, what happened to him?” Naruto said, immediately concerned.

“I’ll explain on the way, let’s go!”

Sakura picked Naruto up with her brutal strength and jumped through the hole. Shikamaru followed after them begrudgingly with Pakkun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music this chapter - Sober by Tool


	18. Die With Me

The barrier separating the Hokage and Orochimaru from Konoha stood hundreds of feet high and caused a dark tint to cover the section it had casted it’s shadow over. Unless the Sound Four broke the barrier, it would not fall. 

“Looks like I won’t be able to escape.” Sautobi remarked.

“As if you would want anyone getting in your way of defeating me.”

The two glared at each other and in an instant they were running at each other, both completing complex hand signs as they did so. Sarutobi’s jutsu sent a barrage of shuriken hurling in Orochimaru’s direction. Orochimaru summoned three coffins which blocked him from the shuriken, causing one of the summonings to fail. The two that remained had the labels on them 1st and 2nd.

_He summoned those two? At least I stopped the 3 rd one. That would have been worse. _

The coffins opened and revealed two men. One with white hair and the other with black. The white-haired man spoke.

“It’s been a long time, hasn’t it monkey?” Said Nidaime playfully.

“Oooh, it’s you. You’ve grown haven’t you Sarutobi?” Said Shodaime.

“I would have hoped to not meet you two brothers again in this situation.” Sarutobi replied.

He was facing the first two Hokage’s who had been risen back from the grave. 

“This youngster is the one who summoned us with the forbidden arts, huh?” Nidaime said. 

He could feel his consciousness come back alive. It was an incredible experience, but terrible to have to have to defeat someone he saw as equal. Shodaime spoke his thoughts aloud.

“I suppose that means we will be forced to fight against you for this battle.” 

Orochimaru, watched, annoyed with solidarity being displayed before him.

“Why don’t we get started now.”

It was time to end this. Sarutobi turned his attention toward Orochimaru.

“Making tools of the dead… nothing good will come with playing with time.”

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sakura explained everything to Naruto including how Sasuke went after Gaara _by himself._

“Sasuke’s always so anxious about stuff. He probably felt like he had to.” 

Naruto was sure that he still had no idea what he was getting into. He tried not to think about the possibility of something terrible happening. His heart began to race.

_I’m coming, just hold on._

“Why am I any part of this?” Shikamaru complained. “This is kind of bull shit.”

“Stop complaining, you ass. We are following Kakashi-Sensei’s orders.” Sakura snapped at him.

“Hey, you guys pick up the pace.” Pakkun warned. “We’re being followed by eight or nine men.”

“They’re probably high-level ninja. If they catch us, we’ll be annihilated.” Shikamaru said, thinking about how it was the second time that day that would be trying to avoid death.

“Well, Shit! Maybe we can ambush them or something?” Naruto suggested.

“Not possible. They are Orochimaru’s shinobi. Besides, look at us!! We consist of an idiot, someone with no specialized ability, a dog, and me, the one who always wants to run away.” Shikamaru retorted. 

The insulting truth hit hard as they rushed through the trees. No one could tell him he was wrong.

“…The only option we have... Is to make them believe that they are going to be ambushed. Someone has to stay behind.”

He blinked a few times and discomfort appeared on his face.

“The thing is… the person who is left behind will probably… die.”

All three of them looked at him with fear in their eyes.

“So who will it be? We can’t use Pakkun because he’s helping us find Sasuke…”

“Okay... I understand I’ll—” Naruto started.

“I’m going to stay behind.” Shikamaru said affirmatively. 

“I have the highest likelihood of living and creating a successful decoy. Besides, my specialty shadow possession jutsu is meant exactly for this.”

He stopped moving and smiled at them.

“I’ll catch up with you later, hurry up and go!”

“Shikamaru, we’ll be depending on you. Stay strong.” Naruto said, acknowledging that there was a possibility he may never see his friend again.

Shikamaru purposely put shoe prints across the forest floor and broke branches in a path leading away from his team. He waited in the shadows until the sound ninja appeared and then trapped him in his jutsu. He could already feel the strain of containing that many men at once.

“Look at him, he’s just a kid. How were we caught by a fucking kid?” One of them remarked.

Shikamaru jerked backward as shuriken unexpectedly came flying out of the tree next to him.

“We know all about your jutsu. You’ll be finished soon.”

_Looks like, this is my day to die after all._

He had already assumed it would happen. He looked to the clouds above him, thinking about the life he could have lived. He had wanted normalcy and instead he got this.

Shikamaru accepted his fate and let go of his jutsu. The sound ninja approached him, ready to kill when Asuma-sensei appeared just behind him, a lifeless sound ninja body in his arm.

“I finally caught up with you” Asuma said, thankful that he had made it just in the nick of time.

Asuma was able to easily take out the surrounding sound ninja with his expert skill. He was proud of Shikamaru for coming this far.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Orochimaru cackled.

“Do you know how satisfying it is to watch something that oppressed you so much come crashing down? Do you know what it’s like to hurt the person who has done nothing but try to mold you into their idea of correct? I will show you what that’s like now.”

Sarutobi did not hesitate and immediately went after his targets. He and Orochimaru were throwing jutsu wildly at each other, each skilled enough to counter almost each one. After seeing the lack of progress, Sarutobi summoned the Monkey King Enma to aide him.

“You should have killed him when you had the chance.” Enma scolded.

Sarutobi transformed Enma into his 10-foot nyoibo and Orochimaru pulled out his Kusanagi blade directly from his throat. Their attacks again were blocked by each other with precision and speed.

“The jutsu exchanges stop here. From here on out, it will be a blood drenched free-for-all.”

Sarutobi began his jutsu, knowing that it was incredibly risky. It was what he had to do as Hokage.

“Looks like your breathing is labored, old man.” Orchimaru snickered. “Even the god of shinobi cannot avoid old age.”

“Do not mock the Gods. They are what you have needed since you were a young boy.”

Orochimaru frowned.

“I don’t need your gods. I am one.”

He ripped his current face, worn with wrinkles to reveal a young, doll-like feminine face. It was marvelously unsettling.

“This is who I am now, but that will change eventually, and it will keep changing.”

“They will smite you for your transgressions. You disgust me.” Sarutobi growled.

“You know it’s been bad for me in the 10 years that I’ve been gone. Banished forever because of your hatred.” He said with anger burning deep within his gut. “But I have come so far. I will someday be able to know every jutsu. I want to be the creator of all there is to be, but to do that, I needed to live forever. This comes with a price, you see.”

“You broke the law of the Gods and betrayed your village by choosing to become an abomination! You were using people for experiments and not to mention you twist the laws of nature with your sick desires for these young people. I could not sit idly by and let someone like you become Hokage, but I didn’t have it in my heart to kill you then, but I do so now.”

The Sanin laughed hard and maniacally.

“You’re the one who’s going to die today and then the Uchiha’s body is mine once he’s mature enough for my tastes.”

He licked his lips hungrily.

“I suppose if I am going to kill you here, I should show you the face you know.”

His face morphed back into its previous appearance. Shodaime took the distracted opportunity to attack, causing trees to grow at incredible speeds in the direction of the Hokage. Enma was able to transform himself into a cage to protect the Hokage, but something was off.

_I am old... and I am tired. It is time._

Sarutobi created two kagebunshin and began creating an expert level hand-sign.

“You’re using _that!?”_ Enma exclaimed.

Out of the air formed an enormous Shinigami. It had a sinister grin beneath the dagger it held in it’s mouth and it’s horns stuck out from wild and unkempt hair. It’s dark abyssal eyes stared solidly in Orochimaru’s direction.

“I will protect my village with my life. It is my responsibility. These people here are my family and I am their pillar, entrusted by the previous Hokages. You haven’t won yet. You think you are so educated in jutsus and the way of life, but I will show you one you haven’t seen yet.”

Sarutobi spoke calmly. He knew what he had to do and initiated the ceremony with the Shinigami behind him.

“Heh. If only your treated them all like family.” Orochimaru remarked, a bitter smile on his face.

The being began taking the beads it was holding in its left hand and arranging them around it’s wrist. The summoned Hokages attacked him and he did his best to defend himself, but he was getting weak. He was losing blood now. The Shinigami finished with its preparations before pushing it’s arm through Sarutobi’s chest. A shroud of darkness appeared around him. He gasped in pain as it took hold of his soul.

_Now, to catch them._

He used his sense of smell to locate the other Hokages.

_Found them._

The Shinigami pushed through Sarutobi to grasp each of then which caused blood to spurt from his mouth and stomach. The 1st and 2nd Hokage’s bodies dissipated upon being grasped by the otherworldly creature and were forced into Sarutobi’s body through a seal. He then made his way toward Orochimaru, deflecting his desperate attacks as he did so. His superior skill allowed him to arrive within inches of his pupil’s face. The Shinigami threw it’s arm forward and grabbed tightly onto Orochimaru’s soul through his body. Orochimaru had been prepared for all he could, but not this. He frantically gestured for his sword to come flying at Sarutobi.

_This is bad._

“DIE!” They both screamed at one another.

The blade plunged into Sarutobi, but was caught by Enma at the last second which prevented it from killing the Hokage instantly. Orochimaru groaned as the celestial being tugged at his soul.

“Why didn’t you dodge!?” He demanded through short breaths.

“This jutsu… you see… For it to work, you hand over your soul to death itself. You pay for it with your life. There was no need to avoid your blade. Once it’s complete, my soul will be swallowed at the same time as yours. It’s the jutsu of the hero who once saved this village. You’re going to die today!”

“…You mean this jutsu is the one that sealed the kyuubi!?”

Orochimaru knew he was in incredible danger at this point. He had to find a way out of this.

“Not to mention, the ones who’s souls are sealed with this jutsu will burn for all eternity in the belly of death as the gods have predicted. You will be destined to battle my soul forever.”

The Shinigami removed the dagger from its mouth which revealed lost souls screaming from inside the god. Their faces stretched from its belly to create a harrowing sight.

“YOU OLD PIECE OF SHIT. I’M NOT GOING TO GO QUIETLY!” He screamed back at the Hokage.

It was becoming apparent to the old man that his body would not allow him to pull out the entirety of Orochimaru’s soul. It just did not have the strength needed.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The giant snakes continued to wreak havoc along the edge of the village. A massive cloud appeared near the snakes followed by an enormous frog. One of the three Sanin Jiraiya stood atop the frog’s head.

“Jiraiya-Sama!” 

Ibiki was amazed to see another one of the three Sanin in the same day. 

“Little chikadees!! Open them small eyes of yours as wide as you can and take a really really good look!!”

Jiraiya posed dramatically. Ibiki furrowed his brows. 

_Little chikadees? What the fuck?_

“Blessed be!! It’s the twilight zone flight of RAMPAGE by JIRAIYA the ALIEN SAGE NINJA!!” He bellowed.

He immediately then became very serious and turned toward Ibiki who had not at all been amused by his entrance.

“Where’s the Hokage?” He asked with a serious tone in his voice.

“Nearby the test arena.” Ibiki responded quickly.

Jiraya nodded and took off toward where the battle was taking place. 

_Don’t die on me old man._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music this chapter - The Red by Chevelle


	19. Purpose for Existence

Pakkun looked back and sniffed the air.

“Looks like Shikamaru was successful in stopping the ninja.”

“He did it! I knew he could. Now all he has to do is come catch up with us.”

_Sasuke please be okay._

Pakkun sniffed the air a few careful times.

“Sasuke has stopped. He’s still a ways ahead, but we should be able to catch up soon.”

“All right!!”

Naruto was elated to hear he was alive at the very least and ahead of them.

_Why did you have to go by yourself, Sasuke?_

“There’s also something else chasing Sasuke… but it’s not human.”

They made their way further threw the forest before they began to hear vicious screaming not that far off. The sounds instantly made everyone nervous, so they approached carefully. Once they got close, Naruto branched off from the other three to form a sneak attack and realized the wild screams were coming from Gaara. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sasuke sped through the forest. He would catch them any moment now. He was far faster. He caught a glimpse of the fleeing ninja ahead.

_Found you._

He jumped off to the left to go around them. He would cut them off. He managed to land about 20 feet in front of them. They stopped dead in their tracks.

“Damn it.” Said Temari under her breath, knowing that this could end badly for everyone involved.

“You’re not going anywhere until I’m finished with you.”

Sasuke was determined to finish this fight. His arrogance and pride pushed him to try to fight Gaara.

“Temari, take him and go on ahead without me.”

Kankuro handed off his little brother to her.

“Got it.”

She pulled Gaara’s arm around her neck and jumped ahead. Sasuke watched them leave with frustration. 

_You're not the one I want to fight._

“Sasuke, I’m going to be your opponent.” Kankuro said, accepting that he may very well lose to this fight, but that was better than Gaara being set off.

“No… I’ll be your opponent.”

Shino suddenly appeared from the shadows.

“Shino, why are you here?” Sasuke inquired.

“Before you left, I made some female bugs attach to your clothing. You are need to finish your fight and I was supposed to fight him before he let me down.”

_Ew._

Sasuke looked at his body for any bugs that may have been crawling on him and brushed off the one that he found.

“You think you’ll be okay to handle him?”

“Don’t worry. I can hold him for at least 10 minutes.” Shino replied confidently.

“Hah, I’ll be finished by that time.”

Sasuke matched Shino’s energy as he turned to leave to chase after Gaara again.

“I don’t think you guys have experienced true terror.” Kankuro mocked.

“Do you want to show me that kind of terror?”

“If you defeat me and catch Gaara, then you'll know what I'm talking about.”

Kankuro unraveled Crow and readied himself for battle. Shino’s bugs began to crawl out from beneath his sleeves and started to fly around him, ready to attack and starving for chakra.

“Bring it on.” Shino said seriously.

Crow threw poison laced needles in Shino’s direction. One of the daggers hit directly in Shino’s forehead, but then the body disappeared into a million tiny bugs. Kankuro was intrigued and disgusted by the fact he used bugs to fight. The actual Shino then suddenly appeared behind Kankuro and attempted to strike him. Kankuro dodged.

_He’s not bad._

Shino stood ahead of him, deciding his next attack, but Kankuro disbursed his crow poison smoke bomb in that same instant. Shino jumped out of the poison as quickly as he could, but feared he may have inhaled it. Crow appeared behind Shino with incredible stealth, but Shino’s bugs acted quickly and infiltrated the joints of Crow so it could no longer move. Shino sent his bugs up the chakra strings to reach Kankuro, but Kankuro severed the strings before the bugs could reach him. He was able to reconnect to Crow’s head in an instant, causing the mouth the fly open and another poison sting shot directly in Shino’s direction. Shino was able to flip around beneath the trunk to avoid the shot just in time.

Kankuro looked down at his hands which were now covered in bugs. He stared at them for a moment, wondering when the bugs had the opportunity to approach him. He began to panic. They were all over him.

_Fucking disgusting!_

He began to scream and roll on the tree branch he was perched on to get them off. It was useless. Shino was relieved to see he had taken down his opponent, but he had breathed the poison gas and it was affecting him now. He began to experience tunnel vision and soon lost consciousness.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Temari carried Gaara as fast as she could, but she knew the Uchiha would catch her if Kankuro could not hold him back.

_This is going to end terribly._

He moved his head and groaned.

“Temari… put me down.”

He finally regained consciousness, but the demon was still extremely excited and began to push Gaara the second he was awake.

_She needs to leave. It’s going to kill her if I don’t do something._

“Go!” He suddenly yelled at her. “Get out of here. Now!”

He pushed her so hard that it sent her body flying. He was worried that if she stayed close to him for even a few more seconds he would lose control and kill her. It was the most unstable he had felt in years. He looked up and saw Sasuke standing on a branch above him.

_It’s finally time to let go and kill him. Just let go._

The demon pushed _hard_ against his brain causing excruciating pain. He keeled over and grabbed his head and pushed hard as if it would keep his head from exploding. He felt his face crack.

_It's coming out._

Temari had landed hard against a tree. She was bleeding now.

_Kankuro.. I hope you’re okay._

“I want to see what you really are.” Sasuke said coldly.

_You’ll regret that, Sasuke._

“You that is strong. You that has ambition. You who has that kind of thing with someone that I wish I could have.”

He covered his eye to help the pain.

“Once I kill you… once I sever that bond you have, I will be the one to destroy that. **Only then can I feel alive!** ”

He felt the demon begin to take control. It ripped it’s way through Gaara’s skin causing agonizing pain. His human mind faded slowly into unconsciousness for a moment as a coping mechanism. His mouth began to salivate wildly causing drool to drip down his chin. The pain shocked his body into consciousness again. He screamed as it registered in his brain. It was not the first time he had experienced it, but it was still just as brutal as it had been the first time. The right half of Gaara’s head had formed into the sand demon, Shukaku itself. His veiny, hooked arm grew relentlessly over Gaara’s right arm.

Sasuke stared at him with fear in his eyes.

_Fuck.. this won’t end as fast as I had hoped. He has that same creepy eye as before._

Before he could complete his next thought, Gaara hurled himself at amazing speed in Sasuke’s direction. He screamed with animosity as he did so. Sasuke managed to dodge and hide behind a tree.

_He really is a fucking monster._

“ **ARE YOU AFRAID OF ME SASUKE!? ARE YOU AFRAID OF WHAT I KNOW!?** ”

Gaara was hysterical at this point.

“ **Don’t forget... you’re my prey.”**

Sasuke did not dare move from his hiding position.

“ **WHAT’S THE MATTER UCHIHA?? Why are you always so SCARED!?** ”

Sasuke stood in horror as the monster behind the tree screamed his business to the world. His brain began to race. He needed to figure out what to do and fast. His chakra was intensely strong now – much more than it had been before.

“ **OR IS IT THAT YOUR FEAR HAS TAKEN OVER YOUR HATRED, YOUR KILLING URGE!? IF YOU WANT AN ANSWER COME AND GET ME!!** ”

Sasuke began to gather chakra in his hand for the Chidori again.

_The only reason he left me alive… was so that he did not have to bear the guilt of killing the entire clan. My brother chose me to be an avenger. The sole reason for my existence is to hunt and destroy him!_

His Chidori was at full force now. He jumped out of his hiding place and hurled it at Gaara. The demonic arm flew back in Sasuke’s direction and they collided. Gaara’s demonic right arm ripped in half by the Chidori. He screamed in intense agony, but his screams shortly turned into evil cackling.

“The reason I’m so excited…” Gaara started. “I’ve realized that it’s the pain. Hehahah.. **HAHAHAHAH!** **DEFEATING A BOY WHO COULD HURT ME LIKE THIS GIVES ME AN EVEN GREATER PURPOSE FOR EXISTENCE!!** ”

Shukaku's arm reattached itself almost instantly by the cold blue veins which were intricately exposed on the surface of the hooked arm.

The trees were still, and time seemed to slow down. Sasuke could feel the blood lust in the air and it was making him uneasy. His attack had failed, and he was running out of options and fast.

“ **I WANT MORE!! GIVE ME MORE!!** "

An equally terrifying tail began to form behind the crazed boy with the same hooked, veiny pattern as the arm.

_What the fuck is he? Is he going to keep changing shape like that? This is bad. The only reason I’m still alive is because of my Sharingan._

Sasuke stared at the demon trying to claw its way out of the boy in horror.

“ **HERE I COME!** ” Gaara screamed as he used the newly grown tail to throw himself in Sasuke’s direction with his demon arm outstretched.

Sasuke was able to dodge just barely. The branch he had been resting on had been smashed into a thousand tiny splinters. Gaara quickly turned around and leapt at Sasuke again. He reacted with his fireball jutsu, but it did not have much effect on the sand. Gaara pierced through the fireball and all Sasuke could do was brace for impact before he was pummeled against the tree behind him. The impact caused internal damage, causing blood to flow from his mouth and his body ached with muscle strains and multiple fractures.

“ **Is this all your existence means to you!?** ”

Sasuke did not respond to the taunts.

“ **Let me make it clear for you, then. YOU’RE WEAK!”** Gaara snarled. “ **You’re too soft and it’s because of your sick feelings for HIM! To be strong, you need to HATE. To hate is to KILL and to KILL is to have the power of vengeance. Your hatred is weaker than mine which means I am stronger than YOU!** ”

“Shut up!”

Sasuke formed the Chidori in his hand once again even though the risk was high from using it multiple times in recent succession. His body was in debilitating pain, but he would not give up now. He lunged at Gaara in full force. Sasuke’s curse mark crawled across his skin as he pressed his chakra limit. He would not have been able to complete the attack had he not used it, but because of the curse mark, he had been able to land a hard blow to Gaara’s demon arm. The impact caused Gaara's real arm to bleed and the demon arm to fall on the branch he was standing on. It began reeling and moving on its own before reattaching itself to Gaara’s profusely bleeding limb.

Sasuke collapsed with the pain of the curse mark flowing through his veins on top of the distress his body had already endured.

_This fucking curse mark again. Dammit I can’t move.. is this really the end for me?_

Gaara charged at him, fully intending to finally devour his prey, when a blunt kick to the head sent him flying backward. Naruto had finally made it.

“Sasuke! Are you alright?”

Sakura jumped to aide him.

_Shit, he looks like he’s in bad shape._

“You... two... guh...”

He winced and gritted his teeth as the pain became more intense. His neck felt like something might crawl directly out of it. His veins burned hot as blue fire. He cried out from the agonizing pain.

_I… have to... control it..._

Naruto was happy to see that Sasuke was still alive, but _what the hell was Gaara now?_

“ **You’re the one that the Uchiha is soft for… the one that I failed to kill.** ”

Gaara glared at Naruto for a moment before lurching after Sasuke again.

“Sakura!! Move!!” Naruto screamed, but she refused to leave Sasuke to be killed alone.

She stood her ground, kunai in hand. For a moment, Gaara saw his uncle… who had once stopped him from attacking another child who had wronged him.

_I… don’t want to kill her…._

His demon arm pinned her hard against a nearby tree which nearly knocked her unconscious.

“Sakura!! Damn it…. Damn it!!”

Naruto held his breath upon seeing that Gaara was standing directly above Sasuke with one leg on either side of him. He was ready to attack, but the thoughts were racing back inside his mind and the demon was throwing a tantrum in his brain because he had prevented it from killing the girl. Naruto took the split-second opportunity to grab Sasuke around the waste and pull him out from under Gaara to a safer location. He had fallen unconscious, so Naruto laid him down and tried to think.

_I would fight anyone… except him._

Gaara suddenly began to whimper and hold his head. The memories rushed through his head all at once. The first hurtful memory played itself in his mind like an old tape. He had seen it thousands of times before. He had tried to interact with the other children and they all ran in fear so he tried to stop them. His uncle was bleeding from trying to protect the children from him, unable to defend himself against Gaara's emotion-driven attack.

At six years old, he recalled staring at the photo of his mother and wanting so desperately for the blade to cut straight through his tiny wrist so he could finally die. His uncle had caught him in the act and kindly had asked him not to do such things.

He remembered asking his uncle about pain which made him realize that his heart was always in pain. His uncle had said what was needed to heal that pain was _love and that he was loved._

One of his darkest and most repetitive memories played through his mind again. His uncle had tried to assassinate him by the order of his father. He had accidentally killed him trying to defend himself. The haunting words of his Uncle's resentment for him because he had killed his sister in birth rang through his head. It was the night that the kanji love had been forcefully scarred on his forehead by the sand. It was a sign to himself to forever love himself and only himself. No one else would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music this chapter - Sick Like Me by In This Moment


	20. We're The Same

Gaara desperately pulled on the remaining visible hair on his head as Shukaku's voice boomed in his mind louder than it ever had before. The memories of a so called _family_ and _bonds_ aggravated him further. 

“ **What are they to you?** ” Gaara growled at Naruto after coming back from an episode of flashbacks.

“They’re my team!! You leave them alone or else I’ll have to kick your ass!” Naruto proclaimed with confidence.

Gaara smirked and tightened the grip on Sakura’s body causing her to scream.

“ **Well then, come and kick my ass, why don’t you?”**

“Damn you!”

_Shit, what do I do!?_

He hesitated a few moments too long and Gaara threw his demon arm down to cause Naruto to go crashing into the branches. It had not been a direct hit so the damage was minimal by pure luck. Sasuke regained consciousness and was watching where he laid immobile. He could tell something was off about Naruto even though they had not spent a lot of time together recently. 

_He’s not acting like himself…_ _Did something happen that I missed?_

Naruto jumped back up to be level with Gaara.

_Well, that’s it then. I need to summon Gama, the Boss Frog._

He quickly completed a summon jutsu expecting the massive Gama to come forward immediately, but instead he got a much smaller and useless toad.

“Wha!? A kid? Gimme snacks if you want a favor, otherwise I won’t help.” Gamakichi remarked.

“Well you know what!? I hate frogs!!” Naruto said, mad at himself more than anything for not being able to summon the toad king he had managed to conjure during his training with Jiraiya.

By this time, Gaara’s form had changed again. His other arm had now also turned into the devilish arm and his face had become hidden by an image of Shukaku itself. The demon growled within Gaara and influenced his words as it begun to slowly take over his reason.

“ **If you want to free her, you must fight me! Otherwise, I will tighten my grip until she is crushed!”**

Gaara launched sand shuriken directly at the blonde. Naruto instantly leapt and grabbed the small frog to protect it from the attack. He took the damage on his back which caused him and the frog to fly forward.

“You’re weak!” Said the small toad.

“Guh… Sh-shaddap!”

He strained to pick himself back up again.

_Why this stupid little toad!? Urrgh._

All he could think about when he looked at Gaara was how he had felt when he was young. He remembered the dark pain that used to flow through his heart. He saw an image of himself when he looked at Gaara. They were so similar. He didn’t know all of what had happened, but he thought that if he had been alone still at this point, he might have been the same way.

_Even if I can’t win… I have to try._

Naruto created several kagebunshin and went after Gaara only for each of them to be destroyed nearly as fast as they had appeared with Shukaku’s wind jutsu which sent Naruto hurling toward the ground. He slammed against it hard which knocked the wind out of him. He struggled to get back up.

“ **HAHAHA!! I am going to play with you until you decide to give up and decide to save your own ass! Not that I would let you go.** ” Shukaku pushed before punching Naruto ruthlessly and repeatedly.

Naruto got up every time with determination.

_No... I **can't** lose. For Sasuke and Sakura. _

Naruto formed several more kagebunshin, this time, he had paper bombs for each of them.

_Time to use my new technique._

He surrounded Shukaku and looked for an opening, each of them attacking at once and then his actual self dropped below. Once he saw it, he took it and jammed his paper bomb kunai directly into the sand demon’s asshole to perform the 1000 years of pain jutsu. The sensation shocked the demon but caused him to immediately flick the disturbance out of the way using it’s powerful tail. Naruto was sent flying in the opposite direction. The paper bomb went off shortly after and severed the tail from Gaara’s body.

Sasuke was able to muster up the strength to move behind Naruto in time for his body not to slam against the trunk of the tree. Sasuke groaned in pain from the impact, but was happy to momentarily hold him in his arms. He let Naruto down, but kept his hand on his shoulder.

“Sasuke…” Naruto started.

“Finally, back to your old self I see. Even after all that you only got in one hit.”

He had a habit of paying compliments to Naruto by insulting him. It was the only way he knew how. Before Naruto could continue with whatever he was thinking about saying, Sasuke cut him off again. 

“I… won’t be able to save you this time, but you have to promise me that you will do everything you can to save Sakura. Once you’ve got her, run… as fast as you can… and I will hold them off. I refuse to see the people I care about the most die again.”

_The people he cares about most?_

Naruto stared at him.

“He was like me. How I used to be.” He said, thinking about how he could never leave Sasuke for dead like that. “… and I thought that he would be stronger than me because he fought the loneliness by himself, but I was wrong. Real strength isn’t fighting for yourself… it’s fighting for those who are precious to you. Only then, do you become truly strong.”

He looked Sasuke in his surprised eyes and thought about losing him or Sakura. Just the thought nearly broke his heart. He would not let it happen. He hesitated for a second and kissed Sasuke's cheek, surprising him further. 

"Sasuke... I..." Naruto started.

"Don't." 

Sasuke stared at him with a serious face. Naruto swallowed his words and furrowed his eyebrows.

_I guess now is not the time._

He could feel his reserve of chakra spilling over from finding his cornerstone. It swirled around him wildly, pushing Sasuke back with its powerful energy. Then, all at once, he generated at least 100 kagebunshin and sent them after Shukaku. 

“It’s my turn to protect you. It’ll be alright.”

Naruto smiled at him as he stared back in shock and awe. Several of his clones attacked at once and for every one that was destroyed, five more landed hits on Shukaku until Shukaku had been beaten completely to the ground.

**“I CAN’T LOSE TO YOU!!”**

The demon raged and pushed Gaara just hard enough to allow itself to finally escape completely. An enormous creature emerged, towering over the forest in all it’s disgusting existence. It’s blue veins ran through and pulsated inside it’s sandy limbs. It’s enormous belly was larger than the width of the stadium and it’s crocodile teeth sat in rows down it’s jaw. Gaara’s body was attached from his waist down into the sand which formed the head of the demon. Its body towered over everyone hidden below as they looked on in terror.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Many from the village could see and hear the demon beast roars from their homes in Konoha. Several ninjas stopped in their tracks to behold the giant monster that was roaring about a mile from their village. It amplified the panic of the villagers. Anbu soldiers were ordered to approach the demon, but not engage unless an appropriate opportunity was discovered. They set out immediately in a squad of five for an S-class emergency mission.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Naruto's chakra began to gather wildly again as Shukaku applied intense pressure to Sakura’s body.

_I will not let you have her!_

He completed his summoning jutsu once more to at last summon the Frog Master, Gamabunta who rivaled Shukaku’s new form in size and stature. Sasuke couldn't help but smile a little in amazement at his rival's power.

_He really is incredible._

“Camman Gamabunta!! Help me win this fight!” Naruto declared from atop Gamabunta’s head. 

“Nope.”

“AW!! But… like.. Why!? Aren’t we supposed to be like family now!?”

“We haven’t even had our first drink together yet.” The toad said blandly.

“BUT I’M 12!!” 

Gamakichi appeared on top of Gamabunta’s head.

“Hey pops, you should listen to this kid. He saved my life.” 

“Tell you what kid, I’ll recognize you as my Kobun and I will teach you all about family.” Gamabunta lamented, accepting that he was indebted to the boy for saving his son’s life. “It’s time for payback. Hang on tight!”

He pulled his incredible sword from its sheath. The sword extended for hundreds of feet. Shukaku had not expected to be faced with this. Another moment passed before Gamabunta charged at Shukaku and swung mightily against the the beast, but the blade was not strong enough to withstand the depth of Shukaku’s sand and was sent spinning to the ground below. The impact caused shock waves which could be felt for miles.

“Hey Hey! Boss! Sakura and Sasuke are right there so please try to be careful.” Naruto said, concerned that the blade could have killed them.

“ **YOU’RE FUN!!! THIS IS FUN!! NARUTO UZUMAKI!** ” Gaara suddenly screamed.

He lifted his head and formed a hand sign.

“ **Thank you for keeping me entertained so far… now I’ll show you the true powers of the sand demon!!** ”

“The demon Shukaku prevents it’s Jinchūriki from sleeping because if he were to sleep, the demon may take over. Not to mention, that thing is known to cause nightmares and visions of ugly things. Because that child has likely suffered from lack of sleep his entire life, his mood is likely always unstable. When the Jinchūriki is awake is when the demon is weakest.” Gamabunta commented as he watched Gaara.

“So… if he were to fall asleep..?” Naruto asked, but before he could finish his question Gaara used his spell of fake sleep to pass out on top of Shukaku’s head.

The demon almost instantly began screeching and bellowing.

 **“IT’S SO GOOD TO FINALLY BE ALIVE AGAIN!!”** Shukaku excitedly screamed for the entirety of Konoha to hear. “ **AND HERE’S SOMEONE I WANT TO KILL RIGHT OFF THE BAT!!** ”

It activated it’s Renkuudan jutsu which sent asteroid sized balls of sand toward Gamabunta. Gamabunta countered with his water style attack but missed one of the asteroids which connected directly with his face.

“ **WOOOOOO!!!! I KILLED HIM I KILLED HIM. DO YOU HEAR THAT SASUKE!? I’VE KILLED YOUR PRECIOUS NARUTO MUAHAHAH.** ”

The demon danced around prematurely. The dust settled and Gamabunta still stood strong. Sasuke cursed under his breath and panic began to set in for a moment until he noticed Naruto standing atop the frog. He breathed a sigh of relief.

_That demon needs to shut the fuck up._

“That hurt! You pumped so much chakra into that damn sand ball you threw at me.” Gamabunta said, fairly calm for the attack he had just endured.

“Naruto, if I keep getting his by those I won’t last long. You need to wake up Gaara. I will transform into something with claws so I can grab onto this damn badger, but you need to do the transformation for me. I will lend you my chakra, just anything with claws!”

Naruto scrambled for ideas, trying not to concentrate on the embarrassing words spilling from the demon badgers’ mouth. He settled on the clawed creature he was most familiar with, _The Kyuubi._ A life-size Kyuubi suddenly appeared much to the horror of the onlooking Anbu and the families in Konoha. The Kyuubi charged Shukaku and grabbed a hold of it with its sharp fangs and claws. Naruto jolted from its head and soared toward Gaara.

“Wake up!!” He screamed as he landed a brutal punch on the top of Gaara’s head.

Gaara immediately awoke and Shukaku was again forced into the depths of Gaara’s mind. The enormous shell of Shukaku still towered over Konoha, now in control by Gaara. Naruto landed on Shukaku’s nose but came running back toward Gaara to attack again. His feet suddenly couldn’t move. He looked down to see that Shukaku’s nose had begun to form into quicksand, causing his feet to steadily sink while being held in place. Gaara sent his sand after him with the intention of killing him, but Gamabunta was able to deflect the attack with his tongue. Gaara could feel Shukaku’s body as his own and shuddered at the feeling of being licked on the nose by a giant frog.

“DON’T LICK ME!” He screamed.

His sand came from below Naruto to try to kill him that way. Naruto reached deep within himself to speak with the only one he knew could help him now.

_I don’t need much. Just a little chakra so I can protect them._

He felt the surge of incredulous chakra flow through him. It created powerful waves of red energy which caused the sand below him to disintegrate. Naruto jumped at Gaara.

“You bastard!!” He yelled.

Gaara grabbed Naruto’s arm with his sand before he was able to connect, but Naruto had gotten close enough to land an incredibly hard headbutt, causing both of their foreheads to immediately gush blood. The sand demon Shukaku began to crumble. Gamabunta watched the two fall into the trees.

_It was over._

“Let’s go home kid. My limit has been reached.”

He turned to his two sons.

“Yeah pops!”

Gamabunta and Gamakichi disappeared back to the world they had been summoned from. Gaara and Naruto landed in the tallest branches of the trees below them. Both of them were breathing heavily. Gaara could no longer hear the demon Shukaku inside of him. It was completely quiet for the first time in as long as he could remember. His body hurt for different reasons now. People had actually injured him that day and losing blood was exhausting.

“You’re done too, aren’t you?” Naruto asked. “After everything I feel so tired and empty… you do too, right?”

Gaara just stared at him, not sure what he was getting at.

“You and I…. we’re the same, Gaara.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music this chapter - Sweet Dreams by Marilyn Manson
> 
> Funny note - "Don't lick me!" Is a line actually said by Gaara in cannon during this fight. (Manga)


	21. Deserving of Love

The stadium had become a blood and gut ridden grave and its structural integrity had been compromised. Kakashi and Guy stood close to the safety rail. Despite it being an onslaught of sound ninjas, they had barely worked up a sweat.

“I am impressed by the amount of sound ninja that invaded us.” Guy said solemnly.

“It is war, after all.” Kakashi replied, ready to take on anyone else who dared cross his village.

Meanwhile, the Anbu soldiers had returned to Ibiki with a full report of what had happened just on the outskirts of the village. 

“Sir, the demon Shukaku has been contained. Their team has fled and is now headed back to the sand village. Do we chase them?”

“We don’t have the men for that kind of impossible mission.” He said, thinking that the demon may have the possibility of resurfacing if they engaged in battle. “For now, we need to focus on rebuilding.”

“Yes sir… and another thing… the demon implied that there have been _forbidden behaviors_ occurring with the Uchiha and the Jinchūriki.”

The Anbu had lowered his voice to avoid being overheard. Ibiki stood silent for a moment. He had heard the claims of the demon from afar and had been specifically ordered to bring anyone who showed any sign of deviance to _the facility_ to correct the behavior. Once the behavior was corrected, the offender could be released back into society. If the behavior was not corrected, the offender would be forced into exile as was historically in place in Konoha.

“Perform recon and report back if anything is suspicious." 

“Yes, sir.”

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sarutobi was at his limit. There was nothing more that he could do now.

“Looks like.. I don’t have enough strength to pull your soul completely out of your body.” He said with breaths in between words.

“Can you please just DIE!?” Orochimaru sneered at him.

Sweat was dripping down his face. He did not feel right and the longer the Shinigami tugged at his soul, the more he felt it.

“Your ambitions… END HERE!” Sarutobi yelled.

The Shinigami adjusted it’s grip to Orochimaru’s arms within his soul.

“MY AMBITION will NEVER DIE! You’re old and pathetic. You don’t have the strength to protect your village. Look around you. My sound ninja will have annihilated Konoha by now!”

“You should know, Orochimaru, not to take the ninjas of this village lightly.”

Sarutobi did not need to look. He already knew his specialized ninja had taken control of the situation and that the enemy had been pushed off. “This village stands for more than you could ever comprehend, and our ninja would never let that be compromised!”

“A boring speech.”

“This is good. I will still be able to defeat you, who values infinite jutsu above all else, by taking away your ability to perform them!”

The Shinigami raised its cursed dagger.

“STOP!!” Orochimaru screamed desperately before the god severed the soul in his arms to be taken into Sarutobi’s body.

His arms immediately began to decay, turning a deep purplish blue.

_I can’t move my fucking arms._

“You have been unsuccessful in destroying the Leaf.” Sarutobi smiled at him, inches away from his death.

“You old piece of shit!! Give me back my arms!” He pleaded.

“Foolish Orochimaru, your arms will be with me for eternity. We will meet in the next life.”

“How dare you take this away from me!”

“Where the leaves dance is where the fire burns.”

Sarutobi exhaled his last breath. His pupil bellowed a few more colorful slurs at the corpse on the ground before him. He tried again to move his arms, but they would not budge.

“Orochimaru-Sama!”

One of his loyal followers approached him after the scene had unfolded which broke the barrier surrounding them.

“The plan is off. We need to leave. NOW!”

Orochimaru was incredibly irate. His plan had failed. His followers carried him away from the village. Gai caught them from the corner of his eye and began to go after them.

“No Guy, wait!” Kakashi warned.

Guy stopped and looked back and noticed that there was a singular Anbu-faced soldier standing next to Baki, the head of the sand team just ahead of them.

“When you don’t have battleground information, you stay where you are.” Said the Anbu soldier.

“We agree. There could be traps or unseen circumstances and it’s wrong to lose sight of an enemy.” Guy said with a serious tone. 

“After all, you have been right before us, Kabuto.”

Kakashi stared at him with hatred in his eyes.

“What do we do?” Baki asked, concerned for his life now.

“We run. We don’t stand a chance against Kakashi.”

With that, they disappeared with a transportation jutsu leaving Guy and Kakashi fuming over the enemy that had been a part of their village for years.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sasuke grabbed Sakura as the demon arm fell into a pile of sand below her. He turned to Pakkun.

“Watch over Sakura.” He said with a heavy heart.

The reality of his situation was becoming more apparent than ever. He had to find Naruto _now_. He sped away into the trees to look for him.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Temari had fled once Shukaku appeared, fearing for her life. She searched desperately for Kankuro throughout the woods, hoping she would not find him dead. She had been looking for several minutes when she heard his voice barely saying her name below her.

“Kankuro! Are you alright!?”

She dropped to him swiftly. He was exhausted and all of his chakra had been drained by Shino’s terrifying swarm. Although the bugs had retreated after their meal, he had been lying flat on his back, terrified, since he had heard the cries of Shukaku.

“Gaara fell somewhere after that blonde kid forced Shukaku back inside. We have to go find him.”

“What? How is that possible?”

Kankuro was puzzled, but also relieved. The two of them left to go find their little brother.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The two stared at each other for another moment before jumping simultaneously, both going only off the strength of their physical bodies since their chakra had been drained completely. They swung and only Naruto's punch connected with Gaara's face. They both fell hard to the ground.

Gaara strained his body to look over to where Naruto had fallen. Naruto did not move for several seconds. He looked over to Gaara and stared at him lying on his back helplessly. He forced himself over and began to drag himself on his belly toward Gaara using his chin and shoulders.

_What is that guy doing still!?_

Gaara was panicked now. He felt incredibly vulnerable with no chakra and with his demon completely silent.

“S-Stay away!” he yelled at Naruto who did not acknowledge his request.

“I will not die!! I don’t want to die!” He screamed, suddenly feeling like a fearful child again.

“I’m… not going to kill you…” Naruto grunted as he inched forward.

“Don’t come any closer to me!” Gaara replied, panicking.

He had only known deathly intent from his opponents, even those with the nicest of faces. Naruto looked up at him, his bright blue eyes shining through his bloodied and dirty face.

“Being alone… being incomplete because of others… The pain that you must be in. I understand you, Gaara. I know that pain.”

His voice broke as tears began to form in the corners of his eyes as he thought about what he had gone through.

“You deserve attention and validation. Those people from your village? They're so fucking wrong about you... they don't know what it's like to have a demon living inside you... and there’s hope for it to be different for you. I believe that there is hope for you because there was hope for me.”

Gaara’s eyes widened as he listened to the boy speak truths he had never heard from anyone before.

“I protect those I care for because they are precious to me so I could never allow them to leave this world. I would die to protect them.” Naruto continued, still slowly making his way toward Gaara. “If you still try to go after them, I will have no choice to stop you in whatever way I can, but I don’t want to do that, Gaara… I want to help you.”

“You want to… protect those you care for… why? Why give a fuck about them!?” 

The pain in Gaara's voice was evident. He had been constantly betrayed, but something about this boy made him want to trust him. He believed the words coming from his mouth and it was infuriating. Everything he had lived for, was crumbling. His previous self-image was being destroyed.

“It’s because they were the ones that saved me from the hell you live in every day. They acknowledged me, and my existence and they treated me like a human. They spent time with me and cared about the things I did. None of them called me that word – that ugly fucking word. They didn’t call me a monster.”

Naruto spoke shakily with tears now streaming down, causing lines of skin to show beneath the filth on his face. Gaara stared at him, eyes still peeled in terror and apprehension.

“M-monster…?”

“Gaara, you’re not a monster! There may be something crazy inside you, but that thing does not define you anymore than it defines me. They're wrong for calling you that! It's not okay! You're a human being just like me.”

Gaara continued to stare silently in disbelief.

_Maybe this boy… really is like me._

Naruto finally reached Gaara. He managed to roll himself over on his back next to him so that he could look him in the eye.

“You deserve love, Gaara. Real love… not what loneliness has given to you.”

He grabbed Gaara’s hand and clasped it tightly. Gaara looked down, shocked that he was being touched in such a way. No one ever tried to touch him and if they did try, it was because they wanted to kill him. He looked back up at Naruto with a face of pure confusion and distrust, yet, he did not move his hand away. 

“I can already tell; you’re going to be okay.” Naruto said with a white toothy smile through his filthy skin. “Just don’t forget me, okay?”

Gaara’s brows furrowed together upward on his forehead as he fought dormant emotions that were now swelling to the surface. Naruto paused for a moment.

_He probably doesn't have anyone right now..._

“… and if you need someone to acknowledge you, you come to me and I will save you from that loneliness. I promise you that. That is… what love is.” 

Gaara felt the warmth in Naruto’s hand and finally saw the truth. This goofy, blonde-haired boy had hit him like a hurricane. He was sucked in all at once. The idea that that _he_ still might be able to form bonds was incredibly enticing. This boy had looked for and found the light away from loneliness on his own. He, a boy his own age, had promised him fellowship, not because of obligation, but because of what he had just called _love_. It seemed like a million emotions were flying through his head simultaneously, but they were interrupted by _that motherfucker_. Sasuke jumped down from the trees and kneeled beside Naruto. For a moment, Gaara’s default mentality kicked in and he thought about killing his prey… no… opponent, but killing him after what the boy had just told him, sounded laborsome and pointless.

Sasuke had immediately noticed the two were holding hands but chose to try to ignore it.

_That guy just tried to kill all of us, what is this idiot trying to do?_

“Sakura is alright now…the sand disappeared.” Sasuke said, trying to hide his irritation that Naruto still hadn’t let go of Gaara’s hand, but wouldn’t dare say anything about it.

“Is that so?” Naruto said dreamily.

He was close to unconsciousness now and with everything being settled, he allowed his mind to rest and fell into a deep sleep. 

Temari and Kankuro came from the woods and jumped down next to Gaara’s side.

“I’m finished…. Let’s go home.” He said quietly.

They had never seen their little brother this exhausted before. Gaara felt his brother wrap his arm around him and realized he had to let go of Naruto’s hand. He only held on long enough for it to lightly thud on the ground as Kankuro positioned his arm around his neck. The kindness that Naruto had shown him caused a brand new door to fly wide open in his heart. He would never let go of the feeling for the rest of his life.

Sasuke watched the sand team leave and stared at the sleeping blonde for a moment. He contemplated going after them once again, but in his state and his teams state, he could not risk it. The demon had exposed everything and screamed to Konoha about the things he preferred to be left unspoken. The Village would soon know everything. He would have to leave sooner than he originally planned.

_I’m so sorry, Naruto._

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Kankuro carried Gaara as quickly as he could through the trees. His brother had been completely silent for several minutes. He was lost in thought, replaying his interaction with _Naruto Uzumaki_. He remembered the name from when the boy had yelled it at him at their introduction. His brilliant memory allowed him to recall the boys name, although he had not wanted to know it before that day. He had shown him a path that he had yet to consider. From then on, he would treat others with exclusive kindness and earn the respect of his village in the way this boy had done so.

The insults and the terrible words… they would have to be let go. Naruto didn’t believe these words, so why should he? And now if things got too bad again, he would without a doubt make his way back to Konoha. Another truth he had somehow overlooked presented itself right in front of him.

_Would Kankuro ever try to speak to me if he hated me?_

_Would Temari have been that concerned for someone she didn’t care for?_

_Is it actually possible for me to mend that bond and have siblings the way they were intended?_

Heavy pain suddenly surfaced on his heart as the reality of his situation began to finally evolve in his incredibly intelligent mind.

“Temari… Kankuro…” He said weakly. “I’m sorry…” 

His siblings looked at each other in amazement.

“It’s.. alright, Gaara.” Kankuro replied, a bit worried that his brother might have been ill to say such things.

Gaara couldn’t help it, the tears began dripping from eyes. It had been right in front of him all this time. He was the one responsible for proving to his village that he cared for them and therefore deserved care in return. He began thinking of all the lives that had been lost on his behalf because of his psychosis and how things could have gone so differently. More tears. He sniffled quietly, trying not to alert his siblings that he was weeping, but by now the tears were dripping everywhere as they flew through the trees. Kankuro shot a glance at Temari with panic in his eyes. He had never held someone while they cried before. She stared confused for a moment, realizing what was happening and then mouthed at Kankuro to _SAY SOMETHING_.

“G-Gaara... are you okay?” Kankuro asked carefully as to not say anything wrong.

“I’m… fine… _sniff._ ” He took a sharp shaky breath. “Keep... _sniff.._ going.”

He tried to hide the sound of his voice, but it was obvious. Temari’s heart split open at the sound of her youngest brother expressing an emotion other than anger or hysteria for the first time in years. She looked at Kankuro, as if he could provide an explanation, but he was just as bewildered as she.

_I do care for you, Gaara, even if you are a terrifying monster._

Gaara had every intention of proving everyone wrong from this point forward. He was not the monster they thought he was, and he never had been. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Several remaining Konoha ninjas stood around the lifeless Hokage body in silence as they mourned the death of their leader. They gathered up his body and placed it onto a stretcher to be brought to the morgue and buried. Two days later, after clearing the corpses that had been scattered across Konoha, the funeral had begun for the 3rd. Naruto stood silently with his team, bandaged from his wounds from Gaara. Iruka was crouched down on his right with his arms around Konohamru who was sobbing uncontrollably. Iruka's eyes had misted over too. He thought about how if Iruka ever died, he would weep uncontrollably. 

“What even are humans… is life really that simple?” Naruto mumbled to his previous sensei.

“When someone dies… they lose everything. He died fighting for his village… and death caught up to someone even as great as him. It is simple in that sense. It’s like a dream and it’s all the same regardless of goals reached. But as a ninja, the most important thing is to die for a cause. Family, friends and the people of this village were the most important to him and he died protecting them because they were the ones precious to him. You understand, don’t you?”

Naruto looked up at Iruka and then back at his team.

“Yes, I understand.”

Everything felt weirdly surreal now with death sitting at their doorstep and not to mention, who would be Hokage now? The funeral ended and Team 7 left together to eat before heading home for the night.

Naruto had tried to hang out with Sasuke, but he had turned him down leaving him confused and visibly hurt. It did hurt to have to hurt Naruto's feelings in that way, but it would be nothing compared to leaving him forever. He had already begun preparations. His bad was packed, and he was ready for the worst, but he couldn’t just leave. The entrance was protected almost 24 hours a day. He would need to wait until the 3rd Sunday of the month where the guard ninja’s in front were allowed time off. He had been carefully studying their shifts.

 _That might be too long to wait._

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Two ominous figures in black cloaks with red clouds stood atop the crumbling wall which had been smashed by the giant snakes Orochimaru had deployed. They looked down upon the destruction. One of them held an incredible stature, towering over the other with beady eyes and bloodless cold skin. The other, much shorter, with long flowing black hair stared at the village with his dangerous red eyes.

“We don’t need to destroy something that has already suffered so much damage, don’t you think?” The tall one remarked.

“The village is at the end of its prosperity. We shouldn’t feel sorry for it.” The other replied in a cool tone.

“Actually… don’t you miss your old village?”

“No. Not at all.”

_Are you okay, Sasuke?_

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The three-day journey back home had exhausted Kankuro and Temari. Each of their bodies were strained and all they wanted to do was rest. They entered through the Kazekage’s fortress and brought the nearly unconscious Gaara to his room.

“Go get the medic. I’ll watch over him.” Temari ordered.

Kankuro nodded and went to look for help. Gaara was even paler than usual. He had lost a significant amount of blood and was struggling to stay lucid. Beads of sweat were forming on his brow from a fever and his breathing was labored. One of his wounds had become infected. He needed emergency medical treatment.

Kankuro raced through the building until he found one of the Kazekage’s medical aides.

“Come with me, quickly!” Kankuro demanded.

“Y-yes sir!” The ninja replied, eager to do work for the Kazekage’s eldest son, but when they got to Gaara’s door, the man hesitated.

“Please… he’s not dangerous right now.” Kankuro pleaded. “I am begging you...”

The aide stood frozen for a moment with a frown plastered on his face. Kankuro gathered his thoughts.

“As the Kazekage’s son, I order you to treat him!”

The medical ninja was shaking with fear and it read across his face, but he agreed to enter the room after being given a direct order. He nervously treated Gaara’s wounds including two bloody messes of skin, dirt, and blood on his shoulder and arm. He winced in pain as the bacteria and dirt was pulled from his already forming scabs. He groaned in further pain as his wounds were then sterilized and gauzed. 

“I…uh… will have to remove his clothing to check for any other wounds.” The ninja replied, still incredibly nervous that Gaara would suddenly snap out of it and kill him.

Temari and Kankuro stared at him, but Temari did not trust the medic not to try anything with Gaara in this vulnerable state. Gaara had heard the words but was unable to respond. He silently accepted what was going to happen.

“Kankuro, watch him carefully.” Temari said as she turned her back.

Kankuro suddenly became immensely uncomfortable. He didn’t want to see his little brother like that, but nodded, knowing that Temari was right to be cautious. The various assassination attempts had never truly ceased and now their brother was vulnerable. The medic carefully removed Gaara’s clothing, using the blanket to respect his privacy and discovered that he had been covered with cuts from his battle. He treated each with care.

After inspecting his legs, he noticed a stream of blood that had dried down the boys left leg. He carefully turned the boy over and discovered a deep wound… _to his lower left butt cheek._ The medic had never seen a wound quite like that before but closed the wound successfully despite the strange location. Gaara cringed as he remembered how Naruto had nearly shoved a kunai up his ass. He was grateful his aim had evidently not been the best. Kankuro grimaced at the sight of it. 

The fever made the pain of the wound being cleaned that much worse. His entire body ached and amplified each lesion and bruise. The medic took out a long needle from his kit and tried to give Gaara a shot only for sand to block the way. He jumped back in fear.

“It’s okay, it protects him from any… er… most injuries… including needles I guess.”

Kankuro tried to reassure the man.

“I-I have an oral medication he can take.” The medic stammered.

“H-here.”

The medic pulled out antibiotics, gauze, and sterile cleaning solution.

“He will need to take these twice a day and his wounds will need to be dressed once per day.”

The man was relieved that nothing had happened thus far and was eager to leave the room.

“Thank you. You're dismissed.” Temari said, knowing that the medic believed he had just risked his life and he would have, had things gone differently in Konoha.

The medic bowed and left immediately, thankful that the village monster had not attacked him. Kankuro covered his little brother with his blanket. Temari looked back at Kankuro.

Temari left the room with haste and brought back a basic shirt and loose pants. She shoved them into Kankuro's arms.

“You want ME to dress him?” Kankuro asked, disturbed.

“I’m not going to do it. It’s less embarrassing if you do it.” She argued.

“Rrrg.. fine!” He said, while awkwardly beginning to dress his tiny brother who was completely unable to hold his own weight.

He had never dressed someone before either. This day of firsts for his brother was getting tedious. He was just able to finish when they heard a knock on the door. Temari opened it. A high-ranking ninja stood standing in the doorway with a solemn look on his face.

“It is regrettable that I have to inform you, but your father has died by the hands of Orochimaru. The elders are handling the village for now. Please take as much time as you need.”

The man bowed and retreated. Temari stared at nothing beyond the open door for several moments before collapsing on the ground with tears in her eyes. She began to sob uncontrollably. He had been a calloused man, but he had cared for her, protected her, and provided her with a good life with many luxuries. Kankuro walked to her and put his arms around her as he stared in shock at the ground. The gravity of what the man sad had yet to hit him. He would grieve, but his mind needed to process it.

Gaara weakly peered from his bed at his siblings. He wished he could understand the pain that they were feeling, but all he felt in that moment was relief. He had hoped his father would just die one day so he wouldn’t be forced to kill him himself if his father ever tried to attack him directly. This took care of his problem. The man who hated him and who loathed him for everything he was had finally died. The controller of his entire life and evil dictator of his existence was dead. Gaara felt at peace. He shut his eyes and fell into a deep Shukakuless slumber. He would not wake up again for 16 hours.


	22. Be Warned, Konoha

The village elders cornered Jiraiya before he had a chance to escape. They asked him to become the Hokage as one of the legendary Sanin, but he knew that he would not be a good fit for the job and not to mention, he had no interest in taking on a ridiculous responsibility such as that when there were beautiful women around the world to be met.

“Unlucky for you, I’m not the type to do it.” He said, only half-guilty that he was saying no. “But I know of someone who could.”

He smiled.

“Tsunade would make an excellent candidate to rule this village as another member of the Legendary Sanin.”

The two elders stood silently for several moments.

“I suppose we can consider this option; however, we would like you to be accompanied by Anbu soldiers.”

“Hah, watching me won’t be necessary. I won’t run away. Although, I do have an interesting egg I’ve found who I would like to take with me.”

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The two mysterious men in black cloaks walked slowly through the village. Their shaded hats hung over their heads and sported a small bell which jingled with each step. The large one’s stomach gurgled loudly.

“Say, let’s stop and grab a bite before we complete our search.”

“Sure…”

The shorter one of the pair was hungry too. They had not had a hot meal in days. They both sat at the table of a nearby cafe. They ordered and ate their meal in total silence. Kakashi was due to meet Sasuke nearby and recognized some unusual chakra. He casually stood nearby the restaurant from which it emulated from and noticed the two sitting inside. He immediately recognized one of them but chose not to make himself known yet. Asuma and Kurenai were walking together down the road when they spotted Kakashi.

“So cute, you two being on a date and all.” Kakashi teased casually.

“Dumbass. I’m picking up a few things for Anko.”

Kurenai blushed.

 _That Kakashi just calling me out like that in front of him too_.

Asuma laughed and brushed it off.

“What about you? What are you doing here?”

“I’m just here waiting for _Sasuke._ ”

He made sure he was loud enough for the two sitting inside to hear.

“Huh, it’s so rare to see you waiting for someone.” Asuma remarked.

After about 30 seconds, Sasuke approached with a surprised look on his face upon seeing that his sensei had already arrived.

“It’s so weird to see you actually here first… I was going to buy something sweet, but it doesn’t matter now.” He said, still planning to come back the next day.

An unexpected gust of wind came from behind Kakashi inside the restaurant. Sasuke peered inside, vaguely puzzled, but all the tables were empty.

_Weird._

Asuma and Kurenai noticed the figures before they had made their escape including the _Akatsuki_ cloaks. They turned their attention toward Kakashi with serious faces without a word. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Jiraiya found Naruto exactly where he would have expected him, eating ramen at Ichiraku ramen by himself.

“I heard that this is where you are all the time. I guess it’s true.” Jiraiya remarked as he sat down at the small ramen bar.

“Oogh!! Utstha Pmfp Shg!” Naruto said with his mouth full before swallowing. “Pervy sage! It’s you!!”

“Hey! Naruto! … don’t call me that… I came to let you know I’m taking you on a little trip with me!” He said cheerfully, trying to get Naruto to agree right away.

“Whyyyyy would I go on a trip with YOU! Pervert SENIN!” Naruto asked loudly, not wanting to be dragged along for anything gross.

He finished his ramen and got up.

“Because it’s a paid for work trip… and we will be stopping in the red-light district in Hima and then we need to meet up with a woman. Not to mention, I will show you more than anything Kakashi has taught you… including Chidori.”

Naruto began to walk and Jiraiya followed him.

“Not like I wanted to learn Chidori anyway.” Naruto spat.

_Damn it I probably can’t learn that. Your antics won’t work on me you PERV._

“This woman is very sexy, Naruto… and she does want to meet you.” Jiraiya pushed.

“I’m not falling for your bull shit!”

“Oh, well, I guess I will have to teach my super amazing jutsu… which happens to be stronger than Chidori… to Sasuke then.” Jiraiya said cockily, knowing he had won the battle.

_Fuck me!_

“Yeah! Alright, we can go… but, I gotta do something first.” Naruto said.

_I know you don't want to hang out right now, but I have to say goodbye._

“Don’t leave without me!!” He screamed as he scurried away.

_He’s actually kind of adorable. We aren't going to leave just yet._

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Gaara awoke after his deep slumber, covered in sweat. He saw the medication next to him with a glass of water.

_They helped me… but…I feel like shit. At least that damn Shukaku is silent for now._

His brain began to try to process the revolution his psyche had just experienced. He slowly propped himself up with his uninjured arm. His hair stuck out in all directions, slicked with sweat and messier than usual. He took the antibiotic and drank some sips of water. His throat was sore from screaming. He laid back down, but his sweat covered clothes just made him more uncomfortable. He groaned as he forced himself into a sitting position on his bed again. He took a few shaky breaths before limping his way over to his dresser and pulled out something clean. He slowly dressed himself, threw his blanket over the sweat on the sheets and laid face first on top of it. He would clean it later. He was used to caring for himself when he felt ill.

After several more hours of intermittent much-needed sleep, he heard a knock on the door. The sound felt drills going in each of his ears and his first instinct was to destroy the thing that caused him such discomfort. He had to force himself to remember Naruto's words. 

_I need to try._

“Come…in…” He managed to groan.

His voice was weak. Temari cautiously opened the door to see her brother laying on his stomach. His eyes looked a little more dead than usual. She had brought a container of hot soup, but she was still terrified he could go back to his old self at any moment. She would not normally go out of her way to visit him or see him unnecessarily. She could never tell if he would flip and kill in an instant, but after yesterday, he seemed different. He had also just been seriously injured for the first time in his life.

She reasoned that _someone_ should check on him and in all likelihood that someone would need to be her.

“G-Gaara… I brought this for you.”

He could see the fear in her eyes as she walked up to him.

_It’s not her fault… don’t blame her anymore. Prove that you won’t hurt her._

“Thank you.” He said softly.

She looked at him surprised. It was the second thank you she had gotten in two days… and likely the 2nd one she had ever heard from him. She couldn’t help but smile a little. She nodded at her brother and left him.

_She smiled at me... and she brought me soup._

His weak mind was too tired to process much but an overwhelming sense of gratefulness came down on him as he thought of Naruto. He had been right.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sasuke sat on the floor of his room with the photo of his family in his hands. He had long since cut and removed Itachi from the photo in a fit of rage, but he still looked at it when he missed his parents. He had also purchased candles to bring to his family shrine. He was going to visit it one last time. An intruding knock followed by the door swinging open caused his heart to jump out of place. He had been on edge since his fight with Gaara.

“HEY SASUKE!!” Naruto screamed.

_Loud._

“Lower your voice, loser. What are you doing barging into my apartment like that!?” 

He was immediately irritated. 

“Well—I-uh.. Pervy sage is gonna take me on a trip soon. He’s gonna teach me a new jutsu! Isn’t that awesome!?”

Naruto was a ball of energy and it was all escaping at once. He was incredibly excited to see his best friend. He did not even care if Sasuke did not want to acknowledge the _other stuff_ at the moment. 

“I came because I wanted to hang out ‘cuz I don’t know for sure how long I’ll be gone. Huh, why do you have candles? What’s tha--”

Naruto stopped dead in his hyperactive tracks upon seeing the photo of Sasuke’s family with the large gaping hole to his father’s right-hand side. He tried to back track. 

“…oh. Uh, sorry..”

He looked down and scratched his face with his finger.

”Is it a bad time?” Naruto said, suddenly feeling as if he had interrupted something he wasn’t meant to see.

“It’s okay, Naruto.”

Sasuke paused and thought about how this was probably his last chance to say goodbye to him alone. He had been fighting with himself over it. Now that he was here, he felt he would not forgive himself if he didn't.

“I’m… going to my clan’s shrine. Would you come with me?”

“Y-yeah! Of course, I’ll go with you.”

Two Anbu watched from the trees as the two boys headed to the Uchiha Shrine. They followed silently without being noticed. The boys bantered back and forth as they usually did. Sasuke had never made this walk with someone else before. It was nice, but something was gnawing at him.

“Naruto…” Sasuke started. “That battle… with that sand monster...”

“Gaara!” Naruto corrected him. “His name is Gaara.”

Sasuke’s jealousy roared out of his control. 

_Why is he so defensive?_

“Hmph… well, whatever his name was, he tried to kill us… and you two seemed… in the middle of something.” 

He tried to word it in a way that would cause Naruto to elaborate.

“WELL! He… he’s just like me. At the Chunin exams... he told me about his demon inside him which made the Sand Village hate him. If things had been different for me...” He trailed off and looked down. “We just have a lot more in common than what meets the eye.”

Sasuke thought back to their first memory together. It was not long after his village had been murdered. He had been sitting alone at the pier near his home when Naruto walked by and decided to just start talking. He hadn’t changed much in that sense. They had talked about their trauma in a childish way and unintentionally created a bond which would not easily be severed.

“You know you said I was just like you too.” He paused. “That first day we met.”

Naruto stared at him as the gears turned in his brain. The thought finally occurred to him. 

“Sasuke are you…. _Jealous?_ ” Naruto asked excitedly.

_This is too rich. Sasuke? Jealous over me and another guy?_

“IDIOT! I’m just making conversation. Don’t say things like that.” Sasuke said angrily, although Naruto could see his blush.

Naruto continued to stare at him, but Sasuke turned his head to avoid being observed.

_That was so damn cute._

He snickered.

“I’m just messin’ with ya!”

Sasuke would not ask him about Gaara again and quickly changed the subject to training for the rest of the walk. The two arrived at the shrine and Naruto put on a more serious face. He wanted to show Sasuke he could be serious when he needed him to be. 

“It’s… pretty in here.” Naruto said as he marveled at the intricate decorations in the color scheme of black, red, blue, and white.

He watched Sasuke go toward the end of the enormous shrine and enter a room where he kneeled in front of the alter that represented his parents.

“Naruto… give me moment.”

He nodded and retreated away from the room and began to wander. The building was filled with intricate artwork and memoirs from dozens of lost lives. He wished he had a shrine for his clan too.

When Sasuke was finished paying his respects, he came back to where Naruto was sitting on the front steps and quietly sat next to him.

“It’s peaceful here.” Naruto said. 

Naruto cautiously put his hand on the ground beside him so that it was only a tiny distance between their fingertips. 

“I come here all the time.” Sasuke said, trying not to think about Naruto’s hand being so close to his own.

Sasuke thought about touching him again but rejected the idea immediately. He would not have to be the one to touch him this time. Without words, Naruto put his hand on top of Sasuke’s. 

Sasuke bit his lip and continued to look on at the scenery even though his mind was racing. He blinked, not sure if he should swat him away or not.

_Okay… this was the last time then. This time is absolutely the last time._

He moved his hand out from underneath Naruto’s and slowly interlaced his fingers with Naruto’s and held his hand tight. That fuzzy soft feeling was back. He could revel in it one last time. He took a deep and shaky breath. Naruto's heart was beating fast.

_Just tell him._

"Sasuke, I know you don't want to hear it... but I gotta say it."

"Please don't." 

Naruto's expression turned to worry and pain. 

"Why not?" 

Sasuke cleared his throat and pulled his hand back.

“You should go. It’s getting late.”

He tried to sound as normal as possible even though his heart felt heavy. Naruto hung his head for a moment before meeting the Uchiha's gaze again with a pained look. 

"I'm going to miss you... see you later for our mission." 

“Yeah.”

It the only word that came out in place of a thousand as he watched Naruto walk away from him.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

_Report: Sasuke Uchiha was seen engaging in forbidden activities with the Jinchūriki. Advised to discreetly obtain subject for necessary corrective procedures. Upon gathering appropriate evidence of sins against the Gods, we will punish the sinners so that our devotion will be recognized._

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Asuma and Kurenai had intercepted the two blacked cloaked visitors nearby the river running through Konoha.

“Asuma-San… Kurenai-San… it’s been a while.” Said the shorter one.

“You already know us… so you’re from Konoha?” Said Asuma, wary that the two who stood before him seemed incredibly dangerous.

The shorter one removed his hat which revealed his identity. Asuma and Kurenai looked on in horror as they saw Itachi Uchiha, the one who had eradicated the Uchiha clan all but for Sasuke. Itachi unbuttoned his cloak enough now that his identity was revealed. It had been rather hot, and the cool breeze felt amazing against his skin.

“So you already know Itachi huh… well, allow me to introduce myself.”

The taller man took off hat to reveal an unsettling face only comparable to a shark. His teeth sat in rows in his mouth and he had gills beneath each eye. His skin was a pale blue and would be rough to the touch.

“My name is Kisame Hoshigaki.” His voice rattled in baritone.

“I guess we were destined to meet today. Now I have the task of taking you on!” Asuma readied his weapon.

“Itachi, your village doesn’t like you very much, no?”

Kisame showed off a large toothy smile in the direction of his partner.

“I’ve heard of the other one before too.” Kurenai said, now realizing they had the disadvantage. “He’s from the Hidden Mist… he’s a serial killer wanted by the Water Tribe for initiating destructive activities in other tribes. You’re both S-class criminals.”

“Itachi, you have some fucking nerve coming back to Konoha.” Asuma said, fuming as he remembered the horrific event.

“Please don’t interfere… I don’t want to kill you.” Itachi said calmly.

“How do you plan to do that, exactly? There must be something wrong with the way you think. You’re so stuck up.”

Asuma still saw the 18-year-old Uchiha as a child.

“This person is annoying as fuck.”

Kisame pulled his huge wrapped weapon from his back and slammed in into the dirt directly in front of Asuma. The blow had caused a small crater in the earth.

“Do what I say, Kisame. Make sure they don’t get back to the village, but don’t do too much. You can get quite excessive.” Itachi instructed.

“So, it’s decided then.”

Kisame exposed his large toothy smile again. In an instant, he swung the 6 foot Samehada directly at Asuma, forcing him to block. Kurenai began to create hand signs behind him before her image began to distort and her body began to disappear.

_Genjutsu._

Itachi recognized it immediately and tried not to scoff at the pathetic attempt. She should have known it was his specialty.

With powerful strength, Kisame made a blow directly into Asuma’s arm. Asuma had blocked the attack, but when it pulled away, sharp hooks revealed themselves beneath the wrapping which ripped open his skin. He cried out in pain as blood spattered across the pathway in the direction of the sword movements. Kisame went to swing Samehada again but found himself unable to move. He looked down to see his legs were entrapped by the roots of a tree. The tree had wrapped its branches around Itachi who stood perfectly still. Kuranai appeared above him, ready to stab him with a kunai.

“Genjutsu of that level does not work on me.” He said.

In a fraction of a second, Kurenai found herself to be the one trapped within the tree, but she was able to release herself from his spell to see that he had come with her with an actual kunai. He nearly landed two hits and one kick before she had to block to take the impact of another kick. He hit her hard, sending her to the river. She used chakra to stop herself on top of the slowly moving current.

“Kurenai!” Asuma cried out to her, but Kisame took every opportunity to get a hit in and came after him fast.

“Pay attention or you will regret it.” He said through his smile.

“As expected of Kurenai Sensei.” Itachi said, mysteriously behind her, but someone was also behind him.

“This is it for you.” The voice said.

Asuma finally landed a cutting hit on Kisame causing his left cheek to bleed. Kisame reacted by attempting a water style jutsu, but before he could complete it, another water jutsu attacked him causing him to suffer a hard impact.

_It’s my jutsu!?_

Kakashi stood directly behind Itachi, having completed his jutsu and pulled a kunai on Itachi from behind almost simultaneously.

_My eyes will not stand a chance against his. Why are they here!?_

“Kakashi Hatake...” Itachi said softly.

Even though he held one Sharingan eye, Itachi had it mastered, not to mention, it came naturally to Itachi. 

“Kisame… it’s time to go.” Itachi stated. “Getting injured is not why we came here.”

“Then why did you come here?” Kakashi demanded.

“We’re looking for something.” Itachi replied more honestly than Kakashi expected.

The two instantly engaged in battle and fought on an expert level that only those with Sharingan eyes could follow. Kakashi tried to land an attack on Itachi but could not. He appeared several feet away after landing a brutal knife wound into Kakashi’s side.

“Do you want to know why the Uchiha clan is the most feared?” Itachi asked plainly. “I will show you!”

He closed his eyes for a few moments, but Kakashi already saw what was coming.

“CLOSE YOUR EYES!” He yelled to Asuma and Kurenai who both obeyed without question as Itachi opened his eyes to reveal the Mangekyo Sharingan.

“You already know the only other one capable of challenging me.” Itachi said.

_Sasuke… this is bad._

Kakashi found himself inside of Itachi’s genjutsu, but he couldn’t escape. He was pinned and copies of Itachi stood all around him with katanas.

“I control this world of the Grasping Moon. You will be stabbed by each of these katanas for 72 hours.”

Itachi began his jutsu, sending the first katana through Kakashi’s stomach. He cried out in pain. The second stabbed him in the leg hard enough to sever his bone. The third went straight through his neck, causing him to lose feeling for a second only for his body to be made new to be broken again. The katanas repeated stabbed Kakashi for 72 hours during which time Kakashi pleaded with Itachi to make it stop. Three full days of repeated pain without the ability to pass out. It was a true horror in every sense, but in real time, only an instant had passed. Kakashi came to and bent over, heaving for breath.

“Kakashi what’s wrong!? We still haven’t opened our eyes.”

“K-keep it th-that way.”

His voice was shaky, but he noticed that Itachi was breathing hard too.

“You’re looking for Sasuke, aren’t you?”

Kakashi was terrified for Sasuke’s life at this point. Itachi’s expression grew dark and he looked down.

“No.” He paused. “We’re looking for the 4th’s child.”

_Naruto._

“You want the Kyuubi, don’t you? You’re the Akatsuki.”

Kakashi stated more than asked.

“Kisame, take him out.” Itachi said coldly.

Kisame rushed at Kakashi, his Samehada dragging behind him, but was met by a powerful kick to the stomach.

“What the fuck was that? Who the hell is this??” Kisame growled, disgruntled for the first time during the fight.

“Might Guy!! The Leaf’s Prideful Green Beast!!” Guy announced proudly in all his glory as he stood in his brilliant fighting stance in front of his comrades.

This was not what Itachi had intended. He had been fearful that he would have to endure such an interaction upon entering Konoha, however, he needed to remind them of his existence.

“Don’t take that guy lightly.”

He knew of the intensity of Might Guy and would never forget.

“Guy close your eyes!” Kurenai warned.

“I haven’t been looking at him. Everyone, watch his feet so that you can read his movements. There are tricks to it sure, but we don’t have time to teach. You can keep your eyes open as long as you do not look him in the face.” Guy said confidently. “Enforcements are on their way.”

He turned toward Itachi with a serious look on his face.

“Aren’t you brave.” Kisame scoffed.

“Stop it.” Itachi snapped. “We did not come to start a war. Regrettably, this is nonsense. Let’s leave.”

They both disappeared from the scene simultaneously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As far as Sasuke saying he was going to buy something sweet here, it is likely just a mistranslation of the version of the manga I was reading. I know he doesn't like sweets, but I would like to think that maybe he's buying them for someone else.


	23. Broken

The sun blazed down over the garden roof where Team 7 had just completed their mission. Sasuke and Sakura watched poor Kakashi try to explain to Naruto why he couldn’t do Chidori in the safety of the shade. It was only 10 AM and already felt like a long day. Sasuke was on edge. He was agitated by Naruto’s obvious progress which seemed to be miles ahead of his own. He recognized that the abilities Naruto had were likely from the demon fox, but it didn’t make it feel any better that Naruto had saved his life more than once now. He had to become stronger. Sakura broke his train of thought.

“I wanted to thank you… for saving me from that scary sand guy.” She said softly.

It was like salt in the wound. Now he had to admit it.

“No… The one who saved you was Naruto.” He said begrudgingly.

“You’re… kidding… right? Really?”

She stared at Sasuke with a perplexed expression.

“He risked his life to save both of us. You should have seen him.”

Sasuke looked down while trying to settle his intense jealousy. Sakura studied him for a moment. She would have loved to see Naruto succeed like that, but Sasuke seemed angry.

“It’s okay to let him save you if he can...”

“What are you saying? Back there I was weak. I shouldn’t need his help… and don’t say things like that.”

He was irritated and it hung on each harsh word.

“S-sorry…”

At first, she was vaguely irritated that Sasuke had snapped at her but chose to ignore it mostly out of habit of putting up with his moodiness. The more she thought about it, the more his poor attitude irritated her. She had been subjected to it _numerous_ times and he had said some _nasty_ things to her. Yet, it seemed like every girl wanted to date him. He turned and left without saying a word which further. It rubbed her the wrong way. It was like she was not worth any further acknowledgement in his eyes. 

_God, he really is an asshole sometimes. Way to kill any lingering feelings I have for you, Sasuke._

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Naruto left on his mission with Jiraya without any further attempts to speak to his best friend. He was beginning to grow weary of the Uchiha's hesitation and poor behavior toward him. Thinking about the whole thing so much had also been exhausting. He was going to miss his best friend, but at the same time, he was looking forward to getting his mind off of him. The thoughts had been incessant. He kept imagining kissing him again, especially when laying in bed at night. He wanted to so badly. He had now tried a few times to tell him how he felt. Each time, Sasuke had silenced him. Not to mention, lately he had been acting moody again toward him. It was all very confusing. He reasoned that a fresh start with a new companion would be just what he needed. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sasuke headed to Kakashi’s apartment that afternoon for his scheduled training session, but when he arrived, something was wrong. He knocked on the door before entering and saw Kakashi was lying in bed unconscious surrounded by other Jounin. He also noticed the room's energy change to nervous upon seeing him there.

“What’s going on…?” Sasuke asked suspiciously as he stepped into the room.

“Uh.. well.. he’s just resting.”

Gai tried to explain. Sasuke shot him an irritated glare. 

_What kind of bull shit is that? Why did he lie to me?_

Suddenly the door flew open again.

“IS ITACHI REALLY HERE LOOKING FOR NARUTO!?”

Another Jonin entered the room to see Sasuke staring at him in horror. The name had hit him like a thousand daggers and he was… after Naruto.

_No… no no no... this can’t be happening. Not again._

His trauma flashed before his eyes in an instant, except this time he imagined Naruto to be the one laying at his feet, lifeless. 

“You fucking idiot.” Kurenai said.

Sasuke pushed past the man in the door and began sprinting as fast as he could.

_I have to find him._

He raced through the village stopping at various shops and locations where he usually saw him.

“Naruto!!” He yelled.

He was desperate to find him as soon as possible. He didn’t care if he looked insane.

_He’s gonna kill him too._

Tears began welling in his eyes thinking about it, but he quickly wiped them away. He needed to find out where they were going.

_Why didn’t I ask more questions!?_

He finally arrived at the Ichiraku ramen shop.

“Naruto and a tall man with white hair. Where did they go!?” He demanded with panic in his voice.

“Th-They said they would be staying at an inn down Cattle Road.”

The old man told Sasuke who began running as soon as the man gave a location.

_That’s not that far. I can make it quickly. That sage better protect you with his life._

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Naruto was not particularly fond of the sage even though he shared some of the same perverted habits, he thought would never be _that_ perverted. He did enjoy the sage’s company secretly, but the biggest reason he had agreed to come was to train. They bantered back and forth on the path to the nearby town and arrived after about 2 hours of walking. Once they entered the village and checked into their hotel room, Jiraiya immediately noticed the beautiful woman who had recognized him as a potential customer. 

_I gotta put this kid somewhere._

“NARUTO!” Jiraiya proclaimed.

“Huh..?”

“Here’s your room key. Go refine your chakra as training or something.”

The sage put the key in Naruto’s hand.

“WHAT!? Why PERVERT SENIN!? I’m not stupid!” Naruto retorted.

“Just go!” Jiraiya commanded.

"Fine!"

Naruto went up to his hotel room and sat alone on the bed with both his arms and legs crossed.

_That pervert, always ditching me for the next pretty girl he sees._

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sasuke arrived at the small town in record time.

_Shit, there’s a lot of buildings here… I’ll check hotels first._

He ran to each hotel he passed, yelling at each unsuspecting clerk about the tall white man and short blonde boy. He wasn’t getting anywhere. At last he entered a hotel and the clerk gave him a room number by which he could find an old man and a young blonde boy. He darted up the stairs and pounded on the door hard only to have an unfamiliar blonde _child_ open it and stare at him bewildered. He yelled in frustration, scaring the kid as he darted back into the streets to continue his desperate search. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Naruto heard knocking on the door.

_Did he really fail that hard that fast?_

As he rose from the bed, the knocking continued.

“Yeah, yeah, shuddap already.” Naruto said as he unlocked the door and opened it.

He looked up at the mysterious man standing before him with bright Sharingan eyes. He looked so much like Sasuke, he thought he was messing with him by taking a different form.

_S-Sasuke? No… this guy is different… could it be... is this…_

“Is this brat really the nine tails?” Kisame grumbled from behind.

_How does he know about the nine-tails!?_

Naruto could feel that something was very wrong.

“Naruto… we would like you to come with us.” Itachi said calmly.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

“FUCK!” Sasuke screamed to himself as he ran.

_Itachi is close by. I knew I felt it earlier… his terrifying chakra._

The memory played again in his mind as it had done so many nights of him running through his village through dead corpses of the people he loved and saw daily followed by the most haunting image of his brother standing over his dead parents. He remembered the Mangekyo Sharingan and how his brother had used it against him at such a young age. He would still wake up from night terrors at times in a cold sweat thinking about that night and now Itachi was trying to hurt Naruto.

_Please… not him… please don’t hurt him._

He desperately continued his search until finally a clerk pointed him in the direction of another room at a different hotel.

_I can feel him here..._

Sasuke’s heart felt as if it would beat out of his chest.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

“Come out of the room.” Itachi said, peering down at Naruto with his ominous eyes.

Naruto obeyed out of sheer terror.

“Heh, maybe we should cut off a leg or something, so he doesn’t run away.” Kisame said with his large sadistic smile.

_What’s going on!?_

Naruto was nearly paralyzed with fear, but heard fast footsteps come from the end of the hallway.

“Sasuke… it’s been a while.” Itachi said with no emotion.

“Itachi… I’m going to kill you.” Sasuke spoke lowly.

He knew he hadn’t obtained the power that he needed to kill Itachi, but he had to try. Naruto’s life was at stake and his hatred for Itachi was boiling.

“So, this kid has the Sharingan too… and you seem to be acquainted with him. Who is this guy?” Kisame asked, being the only person in the dark at this point.

“He’s my… younger brother.” Itachi said.

For a fraction of a moment, Naruto thought he saw something change in Itachi’s eyes. Rage consumed Sasuke’s heart as he stared intensely at his brother who had taken everything from him. He seethed at the mere presence of Itachi. He _needed_ to kill him. His mind boiled over and he yelled wildly as a burst of chakra sparked his Chidori alive in his hand.

“I’ve been wanting to say this to you. I’ve lived every day of my life hating you. My only purpose for being alive has been to kill you!” He roared as he ran toward Itachi with his Chidori at max capacity. As he ran, it ripped open the wall beside him and peeled the top layer of skin off his hand. Before he could hit Itachi, his blow was stopped with ease. All he had done was grab Sasuke’s wrist and point it toward the wall. The blow had created a massive hole to the outside. Itachi stared down at his little brother who had done exactly what he asked him to do all those years ago. Sasuke stood frozen, with sweat dripping down his face with his brother’s hand around his wrist.

Naruto watched the interaction fearfully. 

_The only reason for being alive…? This is bad. I have to do something._

He began to gather his chakra. With his emotions heightened and being in fight or flight mode, he was able to immediately begin gathering the power of the nine-tails.

“Fuck you, Itachi.” Sasuke sneered as he tried to pull away, but Itachi tightened his grip and with the flick of his wrist, snapped the bone Sasuke’s forearm causing him to let out a blood curdling scream and drop to the floor.

“Sasuke!!”

Naruto suddenly felt incredibly helpless.

_What’s happening!? Why won’t my chakra gather!?_

“It’s my Samehada. It eats chakra.”

Kisame smiled.

“Now back to where I was… should I cut off an arm or a leg?”

He picked up his huge weapon and at took aim at a helpless Naruto, but the attack was blocked by Jiraiya’s toad. Jiraiya appeared with a seemingly unconscious woman draped over his shoulder.

“It is I, Jiraiya! The epitome of manliness! I fall for no woman’s feminine wiles! When you’re like me, you only need to flash that sexiness to have woman begging at your feet!”

He struck a dramatic pose. Itachi just stared at him blankly. 

“ALL SHE DID WAS WINK AT YOU, YOU PERVERTED SAGE!!” Naruto shrieked.

“One of the three legendary Sanin, huh.” Kisame remarked. “We knew that decoy wouldn’t keep you for long. Looks like you’ve already released the genjutsu we used on her.”

Jiraiya set the woman down and turned back to face them. 

“Using genjutsu like that on a helpless woman is not very manly… but you did it to separate us to get to Naruto, didn’t you?”

“Yes. We were given orders to abduct Naruto by our organization, the Akatsuki.” Itachi said honestly.

“You won’t get Naruto.” Jiraiya’s tone had grown serious.

“Why is that?” Itachi asked to humor him.

“Because I’m going to kill you both here.”

“Don’t…” Sasuke had managed to pick himself up shakily. “He’s mine to kill.”

Itachi effortlessly kicked his little brother out of the way which caused Sasuke to hit the end of the wall with his back, knocking him out of breath.

“I have no interest in you right now.” Itachi said while blankly looking back at his brother.

Naruto immediately tried to go to him.

“Naruto, DON’T!”

Naruto stopped and looked on at Sasuke in terror. He was bleeding and losing strength with each passing minute. Itachi approached Sasuke slowly with ominous intent. Sasuke looked on, terrified, but was ready to at least die trying. 

“Come on!!” Sasuke screamed as Itachi got closer.

Itachi punched him hard in the stomach which caused blood to fly out of his mouth onto Itachi’s cloak.

_He’s still so much stronger than me._

He picked Sasuke up by the neck and put his face to Sasuke’s ear. Sasuke struggled to breath.

“You’re weak. For the next 24 hours, you will relive that day.” Itachi whispered to his brother.

"Leave him alone!" Naruto yelled. 

Sasuke suddenly let out another incredibly loud scream upon having to live through his trauma again repeatedly. 

_Fuck it. I’m going after him._

“You fucking assholes!!” Naruto screamed as he ran toward Itachi.

Kisame followed him closely, ready to swing again, but was again intercepted by… frog guts? Jiraiya had summoned his infamous frog stomach technique which wrapped the hall with the inside of an enormous frog, Iwagama, from another world. The stomach pulled Sasuke away from Itachi and began to encase him inside of it to protect him. Before he could be covered completely, Itachi leaned over to Sasuke with less than an inch between them.

“You still don’t have enough hate in your heart. You’ll have to kill that boy to get there.” He spoke lowly.

Sasuke listened to the words as he slid inside the frog stomach membrane, but he didn’t want to hear his psychotic brother.

_I can’t... I can’t… is that... really what I have to do?_

“Kisame, come.” Itachi said with an unusual tone of worry in his voice.

The walls were closing in around them. They would be digested alive at this rate. Jiraiya ran after the two Akatsuki members. Naruto followed at his heels. They turned the corner to see that a hole had appeared in Iwagama’s stomach and it had black flames burning around it.

"Shit, they got away... I'm gonna go check on him..."

Naruto ran back to where the stomach had nearly engulfed Sasuke. Jiraiya studied the flames carefully before sealing them into a scroll to later be inspected.

“Sasuke!”

Naruto ran to him and caught him before he fell to the ground upon being released by Jiraiya’s jutsu.

_This is bad. His eyes look distant. He doesn’t seem to be here._

Naruto grabbed his hand and squeezed.

“Look at me!”

Sasuke weakly lifted his head and saw Naruto’s face in his blurry reality. The idea of killing him was almost too much to bear. The thought bounced back in forth in his mind like a pendulum. He thought about it more and realized that some of the strongest people he knew had all severed their bonds. Itachi, Orochimaru, Gaara... they were all immensely stronger than him. He remembered Gaara telling him something similar. 

_"You don't have enough hatred."_

He tried to focus on the blonde but his vision went blurry. A kunai landed on the wall above the two, causing Naruto to jump.

“Dynamic Entry!”

Guy-sensei appeared out of thin air and sent a flying kick directly to Jiraiya’s head. Jiraiya recovered and looked over at him unamused and with a bloody nose.

“OH.. Oops, sorry! I was looking at you guys around my corner with my head band!” Guy said in his usual macho sounding voice.

“I guess it’s fine, but, Sasuke needs to be taken to the hospital in Konoha ASAP. He’s suffered multiple broken bones and god knows what Itachi did to his head.” Jiraiya said.

“Pervy sage… is he going to be okay?” Naruto asked sadly.

“He took a lot of mental damage today so in all truth, Naruto, I don’t know.” Jiraiya said, thinking that it was best to be honest.

Naruto began to tremble, this time with anger.

“We need to go after those guys.” Said Naruto, determined to make sure Itachi wouldn’t try anything like that again. 

“You go after him now, you will die.” Jiraiya said seriously.

“I can’t just sit here and stay fearful when someone like _THAT_ is out there!!” He yelled angrily.

“Shut up and listen for a minute!” Jiraiya snapped. “That woman we are looking for is also a Great Sanin. She is one of the few who can help Sasuke.”

Naruto looked up at him and nodded. Guy hoisted Sasuke up onto his back. Naruto stared at them leaving. He wanted to go back to Konoha with him, but after some convincing, agreed to move on with Jiraya. It was a decision he would come to regret. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Itachi had made his escape using Ameterasu, a violent black flame jutsu which ate everything it touched. It had taken a lot of out of him. He breathed heavy, exhausted from how much he had exerted himself today.

“It’s not like you to run away so much, Itachi.” Said Kisame condescendingly.

“I need to rest. I’ve done too much today.” He said in between labored breaths.

The Ameterasu had taken its toll on him and his body demanded treatment. He struggled to breathe but kept his struggle silent.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Another dreamless slumber gave Gaara more rest in the week than he had ever had in his life. He felt incredible and the demon had not bothered him since the fight with Naruto. The villagers were, of course, still terrified of him. He had started his new journey. He was practicing being _nice_ with his siblings and the aides in the Kazekage’s fortress. His siblings certainly seemed a little more relaxed, but he could tell they were still on edge around him. Kankuro actually seemed _more_ concerned with his nice behavior. He had said something about it being _creepy._

Some of the aides still ran in terror when they saw him. He may have tried to kill them in the past, but he didn’t remember. He didn’t normally go outside because people just ran in fear, but he decided today he would endure it. He wanted to be seen by them. Upon stepping outside into the village, most side-eyed him and would look away should his gaze meet theirs. There were also those who would step back in terror and some would even run screaming. Those that screamed seemed to be the ones that had either seen or heard him murder someone before.

He looked at the ground, eager not to see the faces of disdain. It was times like these where Shukaku would normally be taunting him. He kept expecting it, but there was nothing. It was pure and blissful silence.

_Had it been that headbutt?_

He turned a corner down a residential area. A small girl stood in front of him reaching her hands in the air toward a tree. He looked at the child, puzzled before he heard a tiny _mew._ He looked up to see a small gray kitten stuck on the branch of the tree. The small human was very distressed and mumbled some gibberish in Gaara’s direction while pointing to the tree. The little girl looked at him, the tree and then back at him.

_I… will help you._

The kitten was confused and mewed wildly as soft sand lifted her up off the branches and carefully placed her on the ground. The little girl giggled wildly and ran up to Gaara’s left leg and wrapped it around it.

“’Tank you!!” She said in an adorably small voice.

She could not have been older than three.

“MINAKO!!” A woman’s voice suddenly screamed.

The sound caused Gaara to tense. The woman was running toward the little girl. His instinct said that she was running to kill him and his sand began to rise behind him. He forced it back into submission for the first time. It lowered before the mother reached him and she grabbed the little girl. The woman looked back at Gaara in terror while clutching her daughter and took a few steps backward before running away. The toddler began to cry and reach for Gaara and her kitten, but her mother quickly ran her inside, thinking her little girls’ life had been in danger. He watched them shut and lock the door behind them. 

He took a few deep breathes to calm himself _._ He heard another, louder _Mew!_ followed by more screaming by the tiny kitten. She was looking up at Gaara and was rubbing her tiny body against his foot.

“Cute.” He said plainly.

The feeling of the fur on his toes tickled and it was so _soft._ The tiny cat mewed back loudly. He bent over to touch the cat but before he could, she had begun rubbing her little face up against his fingers, purring loudly.

“You don’t have a home, do you? And now you’re alone.”

He thought about it for a moment and decided that she would not only be his companion, but also a symbol that he was capable of caring for something without killing it. 

“You’re coming with me.” 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Guy carried Sasuke quickly home to Konoha and he was checked into the hospital and given as much treatment as they could offer. After he was stabilized, Guy left to attend to his usual routine throughout Konoha. He would be safe in the hospital with regular check ins, or so he thought. Sasuke stared into the dark abyss of his mind for a full 13 hours. He wanted to die.

_What is existence with no will to move, eat, drink, or do anything else? I want to be put out of my misery._

It was like he had gone back to being a seven-year-old child again in the days after his family’s massacre. He just had no fight in him left.

_The Gods are evil for letting me live._

He awoke in the night to feeling his body being moved from his hospital bed. His mind barely comprehended the motion and his body still would not respond even if he wanted it to.

_I don’t care._

He stared at the full moon above him as he was carried away from the hospital and through the trees. He saw the image of his brother standing over their deceased village once again. He closed his eyes. There would be no moon beneath his eyelids. His brother had broken him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music this chapter - Bird and the Worm by the Used.


	24. The Will of the Gods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suicide is not the answer.

Konoha was a respected village, known for its beautiful scenery, thriving market, and incredible military. On the outside, it represented a symbol of privilege and many longed to enter its gates for a chance at prosperity. Despite the village being young, it had flourished and developed at a record rate, but it also developed dark secrets as all villages do. There were prices to be paid for even the false sense of utopia. An ancient traditional law-book guided them to their wealth and to their intolerance. The law-book described the preservation of clan blood as the holiest of duties to the Gods and was necessary to walk on the light side of the afterlife. The Gods, who were said to be ancient beings, built the earth and established the path by which all life must walk. If someone chose not to walk down this path, for whatever reason, they were shunned for their outrageous betrayal to their people and to the Gods.

This included barren women, infertile men, and those who chose other paths in deplorable sodomy. In his lifetime, the 3rd Hokage had enforced the law of his ancestors. He genuinely believed he was doing what was right for his village. The perversions of his fallen pupil opened his eyes to the true horrors of engaging in hideous acts of life and death intermingled with sexual perversion. The Hokage would hold Orochimaru, as would many, as an example for all who engaged in _that sort_ of behavior. In an outrage, he and his highest trained interrogators created a solution for any other ninja who exhibited any signs that they would betray the Gods. This frightening institution would do right by the Gods and correct the way of nature in the Leaf.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

“Tsunade! This is the most expensive gambling den around!!” Shizune said, worried that Tsunade would blow all their money again.

“Oh hush, let’s go!” 

They entered a room full of men who all instantly stared at the tall attractive blonde woman. She sat down at the end of the table with her suitcase and opened it for the room to see neatly stacked fortunes worth of money. One man whispered to the other in the corner of the room. 

“Hey, isn’t that the legendary… _Sucker?_ ”

The men all looked instantly happy to be given an opportunity to make such an easy gambling win.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

“Hey, Pervy Sage?” Naruto asked after pondering for several silent minutes. “What do those scary guys want with me anyway?”

“They don’t really want you, Naruto. They want the thing that’s inside you.”

Naruto grabbed his stomach through his clothes.

“This.. monster… that attacked the village. Why would they want that?”

“I honestly don’t know.” Jiraiya said, now thinking about what kind of dystopic future the Akatsuki had planned.

“I guess I just gotta get strong enough to kick their asses!” Naruto said with a smile on his face. “Now let’s hurry and find this lady so she can help Sasuke!”

He jumped up and down excitedly as he walked. He naïvely did not understand the seriousness of Sasuke's situation and would blissfully be ignorant of it for the days to come. They walked for several more minutes before finally reaching the town. Naruto stood at the lookout of the lively and bustling village in utter amazement.

“Wooow!”

The lights flickered like stars and the food smelled like heaven. After a few quick convincing words with Jiraya, he rushed to join the incredible excitement. He had never seen something quite like it since Konoha did not hold the same kinds of festivals. Once he and Jiraya had their fill of the fun that was available, they headed to a vast clearing above the village. It would be the start of his three-week long training to learn the Rasengan while Jiraiya did recon to locate Tsunade.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Like jolts of lightning, Sasuke’s mind was suddenly present as a bucket of ice water had been dumped directly on top of his head. A blinding white light was directly in his face preventing him from seeing any part of the dark room around him.

_Wha-… Where... am I?_

His tired eyes tried to focus, but he could not see past the hot orb only 2 feet from his face. His arms and legs were bound by a powerful steel and his mouth had been covered with a tightly wrapped mask with a seal on it. He would not be able to use any kind of jutsu. His entire body hurt. His body trembled from the cold. 

“Say it.” Said a deep grueling voice behind the light.

He started to speak, but his mind was groggy, and it was difficult to form words in his mouth.

“What… do you…”

“SAY IT!”

Another bucket of ice water thrown on top of Sasuke’s already freezing body. He cried out as the shock of the freezing cold ate away at his nerves.

“Admit it. Say _I’m an abomination._ ” The voice said sternly.

Sasuke stared in terror in the direction of his abuser.

… _Itachi’s genjutsu…?_

Suddenly he received a violent slap across the face.

“Say you’re an abomination!” The voice roared.

“I won’t fall for your antics.” He said shakily. 

Suddenly a large rough hand grabbed him by the jaw. He could feel the bruises on his neck from Itachi and winced from the pain.

“We’ll see about that, faggot.”

The hand slammed Sasuke’s face against the metal frame his body was strapped against.

“Leave him to think about his sins.”

The door to the room slammed shut and then all that was left was him and the terribly bright light. Sasuke began to panic.

 _My…. Sins….?_

His mind had not yet recovered from Itachi’s genjutsu and now he did not know where he was. He had to find a way out of there. He mustered all his strength and tried to break free, but it was no use.

_If I try Chidori, I will just electrocute myself… What did he mean by sins? …I’m so cold._

He realized he was wearing only his undershirt and boxers. His wish for death overcame him again as he hung his head. His own thoughts teased and taunted him with death as he was left alone for hours in the ominously silent room. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sakura walked to the hospital, flowers in hand. She had gotten word of Sasuke’s stay there from Lee and the reason why. Her heart ached for him, knowing that he had longed for this for so long and then it had gone so terribly. She entered the hospital and approached the front desk and asked for his room number.

“That’s strange… I could have sworn we admitted a Sasuke Uchiha the other day, but it says he’s already been discharged.” 

“That’s not possible! Might Guy said he was here and would be recovering for days!” 

She was suddenly panicking. 

_What if they found out somehow and took you away?_

“Come with me, then, let’s check.” The nurse said understandingly.

She got up from her desk and gestured for Sakura to follow her down the hall. They checked each possible room he could have been in, but he was nowhere to be found.

“I’m sorry hun, he’s just not here.”

“Thank you.” She said hurriedly.

She dropped her flower as she ran out of the hospital to go confront Guy. She found him alone in the training grounds doing his daily vigorous workout routine. 

“Where is Sasuke?” She said as soon as she was within ear shot.

Guy could hear the panic in her voice.

“Sakura! Hello! He was at the hospital. Did you see him? No way he could have gotten up and walked off in that condition.”

She stared at him with a look of defeat and horror before turning to run.

“He's missing! I have to go look for him!” She yelled back.

Guy caught up to her in almost an instant. If he really was missing, it could mean a number of awful things for the entire village. 

“I’ll help. I promised I would take care of him, after all. What did the hospital say?”

“They said they had no record of him being admitted…” She replied sadly.

“Strange…That is definitely where I left him.”

He paused and thought for a moment.

"Sakura, let’s go back to the hospital. Maybe we can find out more information.”

She nodded and the two headed back to the hospital. They asked every nurse, doctor, and assistant, but no one knew where he had gone or why the records now indicated he had never been there. From there, they knocked on Sasuke’s door, then Narutos. They stopped by the Uchiha shrine and even the ghost town that stood in place of the Uchiha clan’s livelihood. He was nowhere to be found. 

Sakura wished she could ask Kakashi what to do. He was still recuperating from his encounter with Itachi. 

“Sakura… perhaps we need to take this to the Elders. They’re in charge in place of the Hokage until we are able to locate someone new.”

She hesitated for a moment. If they did take him, this is how she would have to find out. She would have to be careful about it and choose her words wisely. 

“If you think that will help… I will do whatever we need to do.”

The two approached the Hokage’s office and knocked on the door to be let in by the two eldest advisors in the village, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane. Guy did not waste time with greetings.

“Pardon us, but we believe we have an emergency.... Sasuke Uchiha appears to have gone missing.”

He expected a panicked reaction from the two. Neither of them batted an eye. He stared at them, concerned for a moment. 

“Missing? No, I’m afraid not. Come in.” Said Koharu casually.

She was at least in her seventies, Sakura guessed, and wore traditional clothing. She smelled like a perfume that may have been popular 40 years ago. She held a confidence about her that had been detailed and refined with age. 

The two entered the circular office. Sakura's anxiety was running rampant. Her suspicions were coming true. Once the door was closed, Koharu continued.

“He has been taken to a specialty secret location for the mental damages he has endured. He will be rehabilitated.”

“R-Rehabilitated?” Sakura asked nervously.

“As Koharu said, he will be rehabilitated, and the Gods will smile down upon the Uchiha clan once again.” Homura said, sure of himself. "Not to worry, he is in good hands. Only the best doctors are seeing him. He is our precious last Uchiha after all..."

_Think, Sakura, think…_

“I am just very concerned for my b-b-boyfriend. Is there any way I can see him?”

Guy furrowed his brows. Lee had just told him about his date with Sakura, although it had been at his hospital bedside, it had sounded like it went well. He stared at her, puzzled. He was sure Kakashi would have mentioned something about it if she and Sasuke were together. It would have been another thing to complain about. It suddenly occurred to him that they were not talking about another hospital and that Sakura was trying to help her teammate.

“Good news then, there’s hope for the boy, but I’m afraid he still has healing to do. In the program he’s in, isolation from outside bonds is necessary.”

Sakura paused, mouth agape.

“Please… just tell me where he is.”

She was becoming desperate.

_How could the Elders do this to someone?_

“Not possible.” Homura said. “The technique we instill to correct these behaviors requires that he separate his ties to the outside world temporarily. You will see your boyfriend again, but please allow him this chance to heal. Trust us, it’s for the best. He will emerge whole again.”

Sakura was fuming. The words crawled up and down her skin. She was about to unleash her full wrath when Guy put a hand on her shoulder. He looked down at her with a serious face.

“Thank you for your time!” Guy said loudly as he put his arm around Sakura and half-forced her out of the Hokage’s office.

“Guy sensei! How can you be so passive about something like that!?” She asked, incredibly angered.

“Keep your voice down. Follow me.”

Guy suddenly was very serious. He led them both back to the training grounds and crouched to her level to look her in the eyes.

“I think I might know where they took him. It’s a hidden and not to mention… forbidden location. I don’t know the whereabouts myself and the only one who I know I can trust is unconscious. We need to wait and hope that Naruto and Jiraiya return with Tsunade. This ugly thing… that we have uncovered today has roots in a dark disagreement that Konoha once had. You must not speak openly about it because it’s dangerous. Do you understand?”

“I-I understand. Is Sasuke going to be okay?” She whispered with tears beginning to form in her eyes.

“We’re going to figure this out. Don’t worry.”

Guy spoke to reassure her but was not sure himself. The rumor of the Anbu was that once you entered that place you did not leave. Sakura was incredibly worried for Sasuke’s safety and wished Naruto was back in Konoha. He always seemed to know what to do in situations like this.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

An ominous scream howled throughout the dark cavern.

“MY ARM!!”

Orochimaru panted hard from the intense searing pain.

“Orochimaru, take the medicine, quickly.”

The medical ninja trying to assist him was promptly killed causing blood and innards to spill across the room. The door to the room cracked open to reveal Kabuto.

“Please take the medicine… and I have to clean this room again so soon.” Kabuto complained.

“I don’t need your shitty medicine.” Orochimaru growled.

“I made it myself. If you took it, you would feel at least marginally better.” Kabuto reasoned.

Orochimaru groaned.

“…I never expected the burning to be like this.”

He shook as the pain shot up and down each of his arms.

“That woman… did you find her?”

“Yes, however, it will not be easy to capture her.”

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Jiraiya searched around the village in various clubs and bars for Tsunade until someone recognized her.

“Oh, yeah, I’ve seen her. She’s in Tanzaku-Gai! I ripped her off big time!”

The man let out a hard belly laugh. 

_Still getting screwed over, I see._

Jiraiya thought to himself. Now it was time to go get Naruto and be on their way.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The kitten followed Gaara as he walked through the streets of Suna. He would be careful to stop when she got distracted or would use his sand to guide her if she went too far off, but she was always happy to come back at the offer of Gaara’s hand.

When he arrived back home, he picked her up with two hands and held her against his chest. She was still purring loudly. He found the feeling incredibly comforting and kept her close. He heard his brother’s voice coming from around the side of the corridor. Kankuro spotted his younger brother and then the kitten in his palms and was instantly worried. He had seen Gaara kill animals before.

“W-whatchya got there Gaara?” He asked nervously.

Gaara held out the kitten under her two front paws in his brother’s face who instinctively pulled his head back.

“Her name is Minako. I’m keeping her.”

He spoke plainly as he walked past his brother.

“Uh… well.. I don’t know if we’re supposed to have animals in here…”

It was true. No animals were to be allowed in the Kazekage’s fortress per their father’s orders.

Gaara turned and stared at his brother with cold eyes.

“I’m… keeping her… Kankuro.”

“O-oh.. okay. S-sorry.”

_Jesus Christ I’m an idiot._

“…and I’m not going to kill you.” He added.

The kitten mewed in solidarity.

Kankuro blinked.

_I guess that’s where he would normally have said that, huh. He’s still a brat even if he’s playing ‘nice’ now._

Kankuro was still unnerved by Gaara’s behavior. He had seen the boy do terrifying things and for that to just shut off like a light switch was ominous. He was not yet comfortable enough to ask him why.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sasuke turned his face away from a photo of a nude man being shoved into his line of vision. Tears were streaming down his cheeks. He couldn’t control it. His mind was too weak from the attack.

“Look at it, pervert.”

Suddenly, the same rough hand grabbed his head and forced it toward the photo.

“LOOK AT IT! OPEN YOUR EYES!” The voice screamed.

Sasuke gave in and opened his eyes only to be shocked with 1200 volts of electricity. He cried out in pain. This had gone on for a long time. He did not know how long and could not have given an estimate if asked. His will had almost given in completely, but amazingly, he was still conscious. He could hear the door to the room open. Someone stood at the door.

“Oh, dear, he’s in terrible shape. Call it a night or you’ll kill him by morning.” A woman’s voice commanded the man.

“Yes, ma’am.” Said the man.

Footsteps indicated that she had left the room.

“Guess it’s your lucky day, eh, you little cunt?”

He directed his attention back toward Sasuke. The light was moved away from his face, but all he could see were stars. He was suddenly moving. It hurt to be pulled from the position he had been forced into for so many hours. He managed a groan. His eyes slowly began to focus, and he saw a candle-lit corridor. There were no windows.

_Am I underground?_

They stopped in front of a locked room and Sasuke was wheeled in. The steel claps around his feet released to reveal a bloody gash on his ankle where they had held him upright. The metal mask was removed from his face and lastly, his arms were released from their claps, revealing gnarled bruises which had formed atop one another. He collapsed to the ground upon being released, unable to stand. 

“Pathetic.”

The man behind him slammed the cell door shut and locked it. Sasuke crawled to the corner of the room. For some reason it felt safer than being in the middle of the cell. It was small and it smelled like multiple things had lived and then died in there. He had a toilet and a cot. He could hear wails of people who had been trapped in the place longer than he had. He had no chakra. Despite his efforts, it would not build up, even trying to use the curse mark. Whatever seal was protecting this place from sight was immensely powerful.

_This is it, huh. This is how my life was bound to go._

He sat still and thought about trying to end it. The more he looked at the corner of the bed, the more he wanted to hurl his own skull into it. The possibilities of how mulled through his mind. He let out a long desperate scream which seemed to go completely unheard among the chattering insanity around him. It helped only momentarily. The tears only came once he thought of Naruto and how he could not leave him like that. 

Weeks passed by. He did not have a reference for time aside from tally marks which each represented a day. He had drawn various images on the wall of his cell including an Uchiha symbol. A memoir, that even an Uchiha, could be kept in a place like this. Each day, he was brought in for the sick "therapy" and was forced to admit to it – the act of sodomy that he committed. He had begun to admit it to avoid worse punishments. He had tried telling them he was with a girl but was slapped and called a liar. The hours molded into each other and time only allowed his hatred to flourish. The mere thought of his brother would send him into a fit of rage. He would punch the walls until his knuckles bled and then punch his cot until he could no longer move. 

He was lying on the filthy floor after the day’s events and heard a rustling sound. He heard it from the left side of the room and desperately searched.

_Anything… anything to distract me from this hell._

He discovered a small hole beside the cot in the corner of the room and inside of it was a note written on dried layers of toilet paper and a bit of charcoal. His eyes burned with tears as he read the shaky writing.

> _To whomever you may be,_
> 
> _I know there's no way I can convince you this is not one of their tricks, but I don't care. I am me. My name is Sara. I am dying here in this place and I wanted to tell someone about my life. This is the only autobiography that I will ever write and, god, I'm writing it on toilet paper. I was born in Konoha thirty-two years ago. I completed my Academy training here. It was at school that I met my first girlfriend. Her name was Moa. It was her wrists, they were beautiful. I thought we would love each other for ever. I remember our teacher telling us that it was an adolescent phase that people outgrew. Moa did. I didn't._
> 
> _I'd always known what I wanted to do with my life, and after many missions, I became a Jounin to protect our village. It was the most important role of my life, not because of serving Konoha, but because that was how I met Riho. The first time we kissed, I knew I never wanted to kiss any other lips but hers again. We moved to a small apartment together. She grew Scarlet Carsons for me in our window box, and our place always smelt of roses. Those were the best years of my life. But the Hidden Sand's war grew worse and worse, and eventually touched Konoha. After that, there were no roses anymore, not for anyone. I remember how the meaning of words began to change; how unfamiliar words like "collateral" and "rendition" became frightening, while things like "the will of the gods" and the "Articles of Allegiance" became powerful. I remember how "different" became dangerous. I still don't understand it, why they hate us so much._
> 
> _They took Riho while she was out buying food. I've never cried so hard in my life. It wasn't long till they came for me. It seems strange that my life should end in such a terrible place, but for three years I had roses and apologized to no-one. I shall die here. Every inch of me shall perish. Every inch but one. An inch - it is small, and it is fragile, and it is the only thing in the world worth having. We must never lose it or give it away. We must never let them take it from us. I hope that, whoever you are, you escape this place. I hope that the world turns and that things get better. But what I hope most of all is that you understand what I mean when I tell you that even though I do not know you, and even though I may never meet you, laugh with you, cry with you, or kiss you, I love you. With all my heart, I love you. Sara.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music this chapter - Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of War Drums by A Perfect Circle.
> 
> Shout out to V for Vendetta because it's one of my favorite movies.


	25. Hope

Tsunade was immediately suspicious when she scored a jackpot playing slots. Shizune followed after her excitedly. It was not usual for her to win and she was happy for her.

“I can’t believe you got 7s!” Shizune exclaimed.

Tsunade seemed wary.

“I have a bad feeling about this place. We need to get out of here.”

“This place really is beautiful though, don’t you think? Look at that castle, wow!”

She was admiring the ancient and historic castle before it suddenly collapsed under the pressure of a several ton snake with Orochimaru and Kabuto riding on top of it.

Tsunade immediately got in her battle position, ready to take him on.

_I knew it._

“I finally found you.” He said.

“It’s been quite a while.” She said cautiously as the snakes giant head lowered about 10 feet front of her, allowing Orochimaru and Kabuto to step off.

“I’ve looked all over.”

“What business do you have with me? You’re not wasting my time about old times, are you?”

“I have a little favor to ask of you…”

Orochimaru’s tone changed. Tsunade immediately noticed how unwell Orochimaru looked. His arm was twitching and he was sweating profusely. His skin appeared more scaly than usual. 

“I’m sure you’ve figured it out…” Kabuto said.

“No. I don’t practice as a medic anymore. Go find someone else.”

“There is no one else.” Kabuto said seriously.

“What did you do anyway for that to happen?” She said, curious as to what would have done this to him. 

“Heh.. just a momento from when I killed the 3rd.” Orochimaru said, with a vague tone of regret.

Tsunade's face contorted into a face that he knew meant run back when they were young, but he needed her.

“Don’t make that face… anything formed is destined to crumble. You should know that better than anyone… since you lost two of your most beloved.”

The creases in Tsunade’s brow grew as her anger sweltered inside her. Shizune was boiling herself at the taunts aimed at her partner. With incredible speed, she armed and shot her poison bow weapon which strapped to her right arm, nearly poisoning both of her opponents.

“Calm down, Shizune.” Tsunade commanded with a clear voice.

She suddenly produced a cute smile. Orochimaru braced himself for what was next.

“Orochimaru… you know how I am. Don’t fuck around with me.” She said cheerfully. 

As she spoke, she effortlessly punched the building beside her which collapsed upon impact. 

_She’s as scary as ever._

Now Kabuto was nervous too. 

“We’re not here to fight.”

“Get the hell out of my sight and don’t make me say it again.”

Her voice was deep and threatening. 

“What if I told you I could revive your brother and that woman you loved?” Orochimaru said coyly.

They waited in a few moments of silence while Tsunade thought carefully about his offer. After an anxious minute, he spoke again. 

“Does the fact that you haven’t killed us yet mean that we have a deal?”

“If I cure your arms, what are you planning on doing?” 

“I would hate to lie to you… so I’ll tell you the truth. I’m destroying Konoha.” He said truthfully, thinking there was a good chance she did not care if it stood or fell.

Shizune noticed Tsunade contemplating their serious offer.

“You can’t listen to the offers of these liars… is that really what they would have wanted for you?” Shizune pleaded. “We could just fight these bastards now and they would die and finally out of our hair forever.”

“Shut up.” She said softly as she held her necklace with both of her hands.

The temptation of having a way to bring them back from the dead was too great.

“We will give you time to make your decision. I await anxiously for your consent.” Orochimaru sneered.

He and Kabuto retreated back to the safety of the forest.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Naruto and Jiraiya stoof on top of the wall surrounding Tanzaku-Gai, taking in the destruction of the castle that was visible less than a mile away. Two villagers ran by, frantic.

“Hey you, what happened?” Jiraiya asked.

“You guys should run away too! There’s a demon beast up there!” One of the men said, terrified.

“What kind of demon beast?” 

“It was a giant snake!” 

“Orochimaru…” Naruto said.

The two rushed over to the scene and discovered a crumbling wall and building, but no sign of Tsunade or the demon beast snake. They continued to search the village for Tsunade until they happened to enter a bar near the edge of the village.

“Tsunade, you’ve had too much to drink…” Shizune warned.

Tsunade was a brutal person without a hangover, but with one, she could be terrifying. Tsunade drunkenly tilted her head back to her partner, shot her a look, and then put her glass in the air.

“More beer please!” She yelled, her words threatening to slur.

As she looked for the waiter, she spotted Jiraiya and Naruto standing in the door way. Jiraiya immediately noticed her too. She was hard to miss in a crowd. 

“Hey! Tsunade!” Jiraiya exclaimed, excited to have finally found her.

He and Naruto joined their table and made their acquaintances with Shizune.

“I met with fuck face Orochimaru today.”

Tsunade’s speech was now obviously slurred.

“Oh yeah? What happened?” Jiraiya replied.

“Just a weird little greeting from him.” She said, regretting that she had brought it up. 

_Change the subject._

“Why are you two here anyway?”

“To tell you the truth… Konoha has issued a request for you to be their 5th Hokage.” He said seriously.

Naruto choked on his bite.

_What the hell!? Why didn’t he tell me this entire time!?_

He beat on his chest to try to loosen the stuck food and coughed wildly. Once he composed himself, he immediately had words to say.

“Why does she get to be the Hokage!?” He said loudly, half-hoping that Pervy Sage would have been the one to do it.

Tsunade looked at him drunkenly.

“Who is this kid?”

“Naruto Uzumaki!” He exclaimed with a smile on his face.

Tsunade's eyes widened. 

_Uzumaki!? He must be the Jinchūriki…_

“So… are you willing to accept?” Jiraiya continued.

“No way. I decline.” She said flatly.

Naruto jumped up onto his seat so that he was standing over the table.

“You decline!?”

He angrily turned to Jiraiya.

“You said she would help Sasuke! Not to mention, you just asked her to be Hokage, and she declined!?”

Naruto was furious. Who would ever decline such a respectable and dignified opportunity? Also, if she didn't _want_ to help Sasuke, he would have to figure out a way to _force_ her. His efforts, of course, would have been obsolete. 

“Jiraiya… this kid is worse than your last apprentice in terms of looks, speech and intelligence.” She said cooley.

“What’s that supposed to mean!?” Naruto demanded.

“He was smart, reliable and handsome like me.”

Jiraiya smiled at Naruto.

“So you want me to risk my life… for a village that I don’t live in anymore to die young like my grandfather and his successors… Being a Hokage is a shit gig. No one but an absolute idiot would take it on.”

She half slurred, but it was her sober opinion. The alcohol just allowed her to say it. Naruto jumped from his seat and nearly landed a punch on Tsunade. He might have had Jiraiya not grabbed the back of his jacket and pulled him back down.

“I don’t care if she’s a woman, I’m going to kick her ass! I will make a better Hokage than her for sure!” He yelled angrily.

“You’ve got guts to say something like that to me. Let’s take this outside.” She said, now thoroughly amused by the boy.

He really did remind her of her little brother. The two went outside and stood facing each other. Jiraiya and Shizune watched, concerned for Naruto’s safety.

“Don’t hurt him too badly. He needs to be able to walk home.” Jiraiya said.

The fight was as brief as it had begun. Tsunade had only needed to lift a finger to fend Naruto off despite him using his nearly learned Rasengan. It was still imperfect and uncontrolled.

“You won’t be able to master that technique you know. It’s a shame that Jiraiya would give you hope to be able to do something like that.” She said condescendingly.

“IDIOT! I could learn it in THREE days!! Just you watch me!”

He was so angry with her, he thought he might explode.

“Is that so? Well, if that’s the case then I will give you one week. If you do it by then, I will give you this necklace. It’s a precious ore which was worn by the 1st Hokage.”

She took out Naruto’s frog and threw it up and down in her hand like a ball.

“…but if you lose, I get all of your money. Shizune, let’s go.”

She turned to leave with Shizune.

“Argh!!.. my cute froggy!”

He couldn’t remember when she took it and he was very protective of it. He resolved to get it back no matter what.

“Tsunade… can we grab a drink? Like old times?” Jiraiya asked.

She turned back and looked at him. She would at least need to hear him out and this kid was poking at feelings she had long kept dormant.

“Fine. Shizune, take Naruto and get yourselves a hotel.”

Tsunade walked up to Shizune and pecked her on the lips.

“Thanks. Love you.” She said, casually. Shizune said it back in the same tone.

Naruto watched the entire interaction like he had just opened a book of wonders.

_Isn't what they just now forbidden?_

Tsunade noticed the blatant stare from the boy. Nothing she wasn’t used to.

“What, never seen a gay woman before?” She said openly. 

He blushed and shook his head.

“N-no…”

She smirked at him.

“Yes you have, you just don’t know it.”

She winked at him and approached Jiraiya and Naruto set off with Shizune. The gears in his mind were turning.

_If she becomes Hokage… then maybe… Sasuke and I… could be…_

He blushed while the possibility of openly being with Sasuke crossed his mind for the first time. The thought was too embarrassing for him to dwell on it, but that newly planted seed would grow. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

“It has nothing to do with me!” Tsunade spat.

“Only a murderer would show no feelings knowing people just like them are dying over there because of the practices of hateful minds.” Jiraiya said back, believing that he could convince her if he just pushed the right buttons.

“Stop lecturing me!” She snapped. “Why did you have to go and bring that boy anyway.” She said, curious about him.

“I think you know why.” He said.

Naruto held an uncanny resemblance to her late little brother. Not to mention, they both wanted so desperately to become Konoha's leader.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The Rasengan proved to be more difficult to master than Naruto had originally thought. He was nearing the end of the week and still making very little progress even after staying up all night training. He was weary and having difficulty with keeping himself motivated. Jiraiya was also weary from having countless conversations with Tsunade. Most of them ended with her dismissing him or getting him so drunk that she could ditch him. She even slipped him a roofie to make him fall asleep at the bar.

The decision weighed heavy on her to choose between Orochimaru and the responsibility of being the Hokage. She held the title in high regard for a long time. The loss of Beni and Nawaki had wrecked her. After that incident, she no longer wanted anything to do with the village. She would go to meet Orochimaru now and she had a plan. Shizune had begged her not to go. She, in defeat, would shortly tell Jiraiya and Naruto to stop her from making a terrible decision.

She and Orochimaru met where they had met before near the fallen castle. She had agreed to heal him, but as she was about to perform her jutsu, a kunai flew between them from Kabuto watching above.

“She’s trying to kill you.” He said, offended that she would dare lie to his master.

“You come all this way, and that’s the course of action you chose?” Orochimaru snarled.

“I had tried to forget, but now I remember those two’s dreams because of that brat. Those two had a dream that they bet their lives on. I only wanted them to be happy.” She said as a tear rolled down her face.

“So the deal is off, I take it.” Orochimaru said unempathetically.

Tsunade’s eyes went from those of sadness to those of rage. She lifted her leg high in air and with a single kick, she destroyed the ground, causing a 50 foot wide crater. Orochimaru and Kabuto successfully evaded the attack, but it had been close. They would need to be careful to not let a finger of hers land on them. Orochimaru and Kabuto retreated to the grassy area behind them to avoid being snuck up on by Jiraiya upon his arrival.

Kabuto took one of his soldier pills to heighten his abilities and began to fight Tsunade head on. He landed several hits along her muscles and one on her chest which caused her to collapse. Any normal person would not have gotten up again, but her will and resolve outweighed more than the average. She landed a hard punch to his back, sending him into the dirt face first. His body skidded across the grass leaving stains on his clothes and his glasses broken. His body no longer would move properly so he was unable to avoid the punch directly to his face which followed. He hit the ground, but because of the damage he had done prior, her punches weren’t nearly as severe. He was able to recover. Once he figured out how to move his body, he went after Tsunade again, but was intercepted by Jiraiya, Shizune and Naruto.

The battle roared on between the three Sanin, Kabuto, and Naruto causing destruction of the lands on an immense scale. Even in the Three Sanin’s compromised states, their power was still massive and incomparable to any standard level Jounin in Konoha.

Naruto was able to exhibit his new Rasengan in order to save Tsunade’s life and Tsunade was able to demonstrate that she still had faith in the Hidden Leaf. The three summoned their respective spirit beings to accompany them in battle including Orochimaru’s snake, Jiraiya’s toad, and Tsunade’s snail. With much blood loss and chakra spent, the battle was won and Tsunade finally resolved to become the 5th Hokage of Konoha.


	26. Escape

Time had become like a distant concept that the world outside existed in. Sasuke had begun making the marks on the walls about 36 days ago, he guessed. He had begun vigorous training inside of his cell in an effort to at least keep his breaking mind occupied. Each burning muscle distracted him from the hell he had entered. The routine of his punishment was seamless to prevent any kind of escape. He had gone through a series of psychological breakdowns. Many involved accepting that he would not be able to change regardless of whatever his abuser did. The next was that he hated Konoha more than he hated himself for letting it happen in the first place. He wished he could take everything back. He even began to resent the first person he trusted since the massacre. 

_It was his fault. If he didn't exist..._

The emotional pain had grown to be so much, he had turned numb to it. The only feeling that existed for him anymore was ferociously boiling anger. He was wasting time in the rotten box that confined him. No matter what he tried, and try he did, there was no change to his abuser’s practices. If anything, his attempts made it worse. He thought he was used to everything. He thought he could handle the awful routine and would react little to the usual attempts to break him. 

In the last session, however, they did something he did not expect. 

His right arm was released from it's iron clamp. The sting of the wounds on his wrists did not phase him. His arm fell to his side weakly. 

_Now is my chance._

The light prevented him from being able to see much of the room, but if any opportunity would present itself, he would take it without hesitation. A scream suddenly pierced the silence. 

“PLEASE! PLEASE NO, PLEASE! NOOO!!” 

A woman's voice could be heard from the corridors. Her cries echoed through the chambers as she stumbled closer to the interrogation room against her will. He winced as he heard the strike across her face followed by a strict command to shut up. It was different when it was someone else. She was led into the room, whimpering as she attempted to silence herself. The light blinding him was shut off. He blinked several times trying to see the room around him. When his eyes finally focused, he averted them immediately. The woman was not clothed and was being held by a chain around her neck. Her hands were cuffed in the same iron cuffs. She had fresh wounds around her ankles and wrists. 

"Try anything, and she gets punished. Do you understand?"

Sasuke looked up in horror as he recognized the man's face. The one that had been interrogating him the entire time had been a Jounin he _knew_. He had seen him at the Chunin exams. Ibiki stood over him with the woman in his tight grasp. He gaped at him for a few moments as his shock set in. 

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" Ibiki screamed at him. 

"Y-yes." 

He forcefully walked toward Sasuke which used to make him flinch. Now, he stared hard in his abusers face. He wanted to watch him die. 

"No, please... sir, you have to liste-" 

Ibiki grabbed her hair and pulled causing her to cry out in pain. 

"Shut up and do your duty to the Gods." 

He turned his attention toward Sasuke who grimaced at the thought of what was next. 

"We are going to be conducting an experiment today. You seem to not be responding to the usual treatment. So, to stimulate your natural desire to be with a woman, what better way then to allow your curiosity to flourish with this given opportunity?" 

He shoved the woman to within Sasuke's reach. He continued to avert his eyes.

"Look at her." 

He slowly turned his head. Rather than look at her body, he looked into her eyes. A wave of forceful emotion broke through his callousness, making him want to scream. Not for himself, but for her. She had a look of terror on her face. Clearly, she had not been there long. He wanted to tell her he was sorry and that he would help her. If he did, it would be a lie. He was completely helpless. His eyes told her he was sorry for what they were about to be forced to do. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The horrific events of the room gnawed at Sasuke's thoughts through the night. It was early morning now, before dawn. He felt dirty. He wanted to bathe himself with scorching hot waters and cut off his hand entirely. He laid on his side with his legs to his chest as the tears had flowed. Again, they had broken his will.

His heart jumped at the booming sound of iron hitting the stone floor with incredible force. He could feel the vibrations. Several minutes passed by, but nothing had changed aside from the wails and screams of the people in the cells down the hall from him. He heard several footsteps and they did not match the pattern of anyone who he had recognized in the facility before.

“He’s not in there…” Said a new male voice.

“Check these down here, I’ll go this way and we’ll meet back up at the corner.” Another new voice.

The footsteps approached Sasuke’s cell and the slot for food opened up revealing beady black eyes with dark eye bags beneath them. They stared at him for a moment.

“OY! Not necessary! I found him!” Sakun yelled back before ripping opening Sasuke’s cell door with his incredible strength. The strange man had another head attached to the back of his neck that appeared to be slumped over.

_What the hell is he?_

“Hey, Sasuke, this place blows, right? Why don’t we get you back to Orochimaru where you belong.”

He had an evil grin on his face and sported the same rope around his waist as Orochimaru. Sasuke did not know what he was up against, but he would have done anything to get out of there. 

“If you get me out of here… I will go with you.” Sasuke said calmly despite it being his first vaguely normal interaction in weeks.

The man cackled maniacally.

“This place really does fuck with your head doesn’t it. To think he’d agree that quickly. Too easy.”

Before Sasuke knew what happened, Sakun was at his throat with a kunai.

“You try anything, we will take you by force.”

Sasuke had very little fear of force left in him now. 

_This idiot thinks I wasn't planning to leave fucking Konoha in the first place._

He was lead into the hall to see a larger balding man, a young woman with long pink hair, and another man with an absurd amount of arms connected to his torso. The sight was unsettling.

“Man, you look like shit.” Said Kidomaru.

_Says you, fucking gross ass spider._

He just glared.

“No shit, he looks like shit!” Said Sakun, irritated at the obvious comment.

“Sasuke, where we’re taking you, no one worries about the bullshit that got you in here.”

“Are we getting out of here or not?”

He was desperate to leave. 

“Ooooo!! Spicy little shit, isn’t he? After we just saved you from this hell too.” Said Tayuya. “You better watch that one Sakun.”

She turned to leave and Jirobo, the large balding man, followed her.

“Heh, I think our little Sasuke knows his place by now, mm?” Sakun replied slyly.

The words sent waves of discomfort through his body, but he chose to ignore it. The Sound Four led him out of the corridors to a hole that lead to the surface. Looking up, he was amazed to find that they were at least a hundred feet below the ground. When he reached the surface and breathed the fresh air, he finally felt alive again. His chakra began racing through his body, but he was still weak. He had been in Konoha the entire time on the outside edge of the village, just under the noses of the people who he loved and cared for.

It was time for him to sever his bonds forever. The weeks he was locked away had helped him begin to do that, but he still found himself thinking about Naruto constantly. He couldn’t help it. Like a jolt of lightning, Sakun suddenly was slammed to the forest floor. Sasuke tried to stop moving, but someone had wrapped his arm around his waste.

_Not fucking again._

He began to struggle violently, but then realized who had his arm around him.

_Kakashi!?_

Kakashi set him down. He had a worried look in his eye. 

“Wait here and hide. I will come for you.” Kakashi said seriously before jumping back to go after the Sound Four.

He had been searching for Sasuke since his disappearance and was grateful to have finally found him. He luckily had been on a random scout and heard the voices of the Sound Four and decided to investigate only to find Sasuke in a horrible condition. He would need to capture the enemies first and then go to Sasuke to help him find refuge outside of the Leaf. It would be dangerous and threatened his status as a Jounin, but he would rather his pupil be safe. 

He rushed after the Sound Four to the village gates and landed on the edge.

_No sign of them. Damn._

He went back to where he had left Sasuke to betray Konoha for the sake of his pupil. When he arrived, Sasuke was gone. His heart sunk.

_He left? Was he taken again?_

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The Sound Four had been given specific instructions to _convince_ Sasuke to come with them. They had only been permitted to use _some_ force. With that information, they retreated from the scene as none of them wanted to enter into a full-on fight with the copy-cat ninja. Not to mention, Ukon, had suffered a major blow to the back of the head and was now unconscious. Sasuke stood in awe as he watched them leave. He was alone… and he was free. He took a moment to put his hand in the soft grass below him to just _touch it._ He looked up at the moon and appreciated it's beauty for a few sacred seconds before rushing to his apartment. He quickly gathered his things including the photo of his family. He looked at the photo of his team and went to grab it before stopping himself.

_This is goodbye forever. I’m sorry I have to do this._

Instead, he put the photo face down on his dresser. His heart felt as if it was going to explode. His only stimulation for the last several weeks had been a wall, a rock, and the note he had found in the wall which he had re-read hundreds of times and memorized every word of. He had kept it with him this entire time close to his body so as not to be discovered and he would never let it go.

He showered quickly to wash off the stench that had accumulated on his skin and hair using water as hot as it would go. It was the best 5 minute shower he ever had. Once everything was together, he left, but would make one stop before leaving the village.

Naruto's window had always been more convenient than his door. He peered in to see the blonde sleeping soundly in his bed. He just wanted to see him, so he would not wake him. He would never escape this place if he did. He stepped up to the edge of the window and opened it by jiggling the lock loose as he had seen Naruto do to break into his own apartment.

_Dumb ass._

He smiled softly at the memory and folded his headband nicely before setting it on Naruto’s night stand, but something distracted him. He breathed in deep to smell the scent of him. He didn’t think about Naruto having a certain smell until he had missed it for this long. It would now be his favorite smell. He quietly opened one of Naruto’s drawers and held one of his shirts to his nose for a few moments. He closed his eyes and inhaled, memorizing it. He carefully folded it and put it back. He took one last long look at the sleeping boy. As his feelings welled in him, he broke his gaze. In a moment, he disappeared out of the room as if no one had been there. 

He fled carefully through the village so as not to be seen. Once he reached outside the village buildings, he felt comfortable enough to walk on the path. It would be about 4 AM now and the village would be sound asleep but for a few only just now waking up. He jumped down and was about to find his way up the towering wall that protected the village, when he heard a voice.

“S-Sasuke?”

Sakura stood behind him in shock. She noticed the bag and the exhaustion in Sasuke’s face. He was thin, too, and sickly looking. 

“What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?” He asked.

He reasoned he would need to be as cold as possible. This would be a good opportunity to sever that bond for good. She was taken aback by the rudeness in his voice. She had thought he was dead. 

_Is he... trying to go after Itachi like that!?_

“I knew that if you ever left, you would come this way so I waited for you.” She said shakily.

“Go back to sleep.” He walked away from her without saying goodbye.

_She’s probably the one that fucked you over and put you in this place. Just leave her. Like ripping off a band-aid._

“Why do you always shut yourself off from everyone?” She asked, now angered by his attitude. “I’ve been here this entire time and you’ve never even tried to talk to me about anything.”

“It’s because I don’t need your help. Don’t try to be there for me.” He said, without emotion.

His mind would not allow him to feel anything anymore. He felt completely numb.

“Sasuke, I didn’t tell anyone. I promise. I even told them I was your g-girlfriend… even though it was a lie to try to save you.” She paused. “I also know what you’re planning to do… and it won’t bring you any happiness.”

“I know that.”

He had not aimed for happiness since before the massacre.

“I’m different from you and Naruto. My path is different and it always has been. I’ve accepted it now and you need to as well.”

“Do you really want to go back to being alone?”

Tears begun to fall down her cheeks.

“From here on out, we will have different paths.”

His voice was cold.

“You’re going to break his heart, Sasuke. Please don’t leave. W-we love you.” 

A twinge of pain shot through Sasuke’s own heart. He didn’t respond and kept walking.

“PLEASE!” Sakura yelled after him. “Don’t.. go..”

He suddenly disappeared from where he was on the path and reappeared directly behind her.

“Thank you, Sakura.”

He hit her hard enough to knock her unconscious and laid her on the bench nearby. He looked back at the village one more top on top of the fortifying wall and leapt over. The sound four were not far off and met him on his path to Orochimaru.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Gaara had discovered that his kitten loved playing with sand especially if it was ball or bird shaped. He spent all of his free time with her and on his daily walks through the village, she would follow or she would sit inside of his shirt pocket. He laid on his side in his bed as she batted back and forth at the ball he was moving on the floor for her. He watched her for a while out of boredom. A thought crossed his mind. The feeling of Naruto's hand in his. 

He looked at his hand laying still in front of him and slowly clasped it with his other hand.

_Not the same._

Minako suddenly scattered under his bed as an alarm sounded from the front gate. Someone was trying to enter the village unwelcomed. He quickly got up and dressed and headed toward the front gates. He reached the village entrance to see that six sand bandits had forced their way in and were looking to pulverize the village around him and loot it for anything they had. Sand Jounin were being tossed around like ragdolls. They had arrived upon hearing that the Sand Village did not currently have a Kazekage and that the village was susceptible to invasion.The villagers ran screaming as the bandits began to terrorize them, breaking windows and entering homes unpermitted.

_I need to do something. These are bad guys… am I allowed to kill them? Better to be safe and see what they want._

Using a powerful force of chakra, he grabbed each of them and wrapped them tightly in his sand with little effort. They all screamed out in terror. The sound excited him, but he would not give in unless they wanted him to. The people around him watched in horror as he held the enemies in the sky while they screamed for their lives.

“Well, do it already. Kill them!” A voice from the crowd yelled out.

He turned, shocked to hear the crowd egg him on.

“Is.. it true.. that the people of this village would like these men dead?”

He looked around and saw nods of agreement. They looked at him directly for the first time in his life.

“Do it!” Another man yelled.

Gaara felt a wave of excitement move through his body.

“Stand back… this will be messy…”

In an instant, their bodies were squeezed to the point that the fluid inside of them exploded through the holes of the sand. Their eyes bulged out of their skulls as their brains were crushed into their throats. The smell of the blood wafted through the air. He could feel the old familiar feeling creeping it’s dark way back up into his mind.

_Stop. Be still._

He felt himself begin to tremble. It was like his heroin. 

“Gaara!!”

Temari had seen _six_ sand coffins deploy in front of her.

_Please don’t tell me… he’s just had us fooled._

He turned and looked back at her, breathing heavily. As she arrived, the crowd around him began to cheer. His eyes grew wide.

_What are they looking at?_

He looked around only to realize that they were cheering for _him._ He stood with his mouth agape. Temari approached her little brother.

“Are you okay?” She asked somewhat timidly.

“I don’t want to kill anyone... unless I need to.” He said in between breaths.

She could see the look in his eyes, and it resembled how he used to get, but not nearly as psychopathic. A civilian suddenly and bravely ran up to Gaara and held out his hand to him.

“Thank you…. You saved me and my wife. That man was trying to… well… you did a good thing just now.”

Gaara just stared at the man’s hand. Temari nudged him.

“Shake his hand…” She said under her breath into Gaara’s ear.

He looked at her and then back at the man and slowly reached out his hand. The man shook it, albeit a bit confused by Gaara’s awkwardness.

_"That guy is still a monster though. I can’t believe someone dared walk up to him like that. It’s dangerous.”_

He heard the murmurs coming from the crowd and decided he did not want to be among the public anymore.

“Hey, don’t talk like---” Temari started.

“Temari, stop.” Gaara said. “I don’t wish to respond to comments like that anymore.”

_When will I see you again, Naruto?_

The more he had heard _that_ word, the more he wanted to see him. She turned to her little brother, shocked at his newfound maturity. He hung his head low as he walked away from the crowd. She followed after him, not sure what she wanted to do, only that she wanted to do _something._

“Temari! Gaara!” Kankuro ran to catch up with them, ready to attack if necessary.

“You’re way late. Gaara stole the show and everyone was cheering for him.”

Temari told Kankuro with a shrug. Kankuro looked over to his little brother.

“You… saved the village?” Kankuro asked, shocked.

“I did what he would have wanted me to do.” Gaara replied dryly.

Temari looked at Kankuro. The two had planned on going out that evening. She raised her eyebrows and tilted her head in Gaara’s direction as if to say he had to invite him.

“He? Err… I mean… do you want to maybe… uh… celebrate? With Temari and I?”

It had been over a month and a half since they had returned and Gaara had not lost control of himself, threatened anyone, or had been particularly rude so Kankuro supposed that his brat brother deserved it. He had come to recognize that a lot of what he had been interpreting as rude was truly cluelessness. His brother had no idea how to talk or interact with someone. No one had bothered to teach him anything about anything other than Uncle Yashamaru and those teachings promptly ended when he was six.

Gaara stared at his brother, eyes wide. The only time Kankuro or Temari had ever eaten with him was on missions as needed and certainly never at home. He had been segregated into his own wing of the fortress-like mansion they all lived in, having various luxuries to indulge in, but never to be with his siblings. His father had feared he would kill them out of jealousy. The invitation warmed his heart and he fought back the urge to cry.

_Why do I want to cry if I’m happy?_

“Y-yes.” He said with a smile he couldn’t manage to hide. 

“Don’t be weird about it!” His brother exclaimed.

_He has been acting like a different person. It’s so fucking bizarre._

“Let’s just go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music this chapter - Falling by the Civil Wars


	27. To Hold Your Hand

Gaara took in the lively atmosphere around him. The loud conversations and close quarters with so many other human beings made him tense. He left his gourd outside and stood carefully behind Kankuro to avoid being recognized immediately and therefore forced to leave. He wished his hair was not such a rambunctious color for the same reasons. It would ruin an opportunity he feared he would not get back. 

To his relief, they were given a table without any trouble. He was still careful not to look any of the patrons in the eye. Gaara finally breathed, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw the stares coming from the table next to him. An older man was sitting with his family across the way with a particularly menacing face. He beckoned for a waitress to come to his table. She bent down to listen to the mans request and her expression changed from a charmingly professional smile, to one of terror. Gaara slumped in his seat.

_Maybe I should just go now._

The waitress did not immediately go to their table. Instead, she left for the back of house area in the kitchen. While Gaara was nervously debating his next move, a large, sweating, burly man exited grumpily from the kitchen and approached the three. He spoke as if he removed unruly customers daily. 

“You’re scaring the patrons. You gotta go.”

Temari and Kankuro stared at the man with shocked expressions. They were not accustomed to being treated like outsiders in their own village.

Even though Gaara had expected it, he had never quite gone numb to the feeling of social rejection. It was a deep and relentless ache that had only grown over the years. Before, he had reacted to that pain with hatred. His agony would be temporarily satisfied with those hating him bleeding on the ground before him. This time, he would react to the pain with love. He stood up, causing Temari and Kankuro to panic.

“Right.. sorry for causing a disturbance.” Gaara said softly before moving to leave the table.

His siblings took a breath. Kankuro, in an impulsive act, put his arm out in Gaara's way. 

“Gaara, sit down.” 

He turned and looked at Kankuro with a shocked expression.

“We’re not going anywhere and neither is he. Didn’t you see he saved your guys’ asses the other day?” Kankuro argued.

“Look, boss, I don’t make the rules.” The man started to explain.

“Yes, but my father did and I say his rules are bullshit. Do you really intend to disrespect the blood line of the Kazekage?”

Kankuro smirked at the man who could not argue. He knew it was a cheap fallback, but throwing that title around seemed to have a lot of power. 

“Kankuro… it’s okay, I can just –” Gaara started.

“It’s not okay! You deserve to sit here with the rest of us.”

Kankuro knew Gaara had been abused. In the deep reasonings of his mind, he knew that his little brother could not be blamed for his psychosis. He found himself having an epiphany. The real reason Gaara was the way he was because of their fucked up family. 

_It was your fault, Dad... Uncle... you did this to him._

He suddenly felt violently defensive of his youngest sibling for the horrors he had experienced in his young life.

Gaara stared at him, shocked by his second kindness that day. He had not expected his brother to express niceties to him so soon.

_Naruto was right. It’s actually working._

“Fine… but don’t cause any trouble in the restaurant.” The man said, now afraid that he would receive bigger repercussions for telling them to leave again.

The man who had been staring at Gaara angrily got up and began to gather his family and things aggressively. He complained to the manager who briefly explained it was under the bloodline's orders.

“To think… letting a monster dine at their restaurant.”

The man grumbled loud enough to make sure Gaara heard. Gaara lifted his eyes from the table and shot the man a hard glare. It was enough for the man to quickly move his family away and out the door. Temari and Kankuro watched their little brother nervously. Despite his reformed behavior, they knew what he was entirely still capable of. 

“Gaara… don’t pay any mind to them. We see that you’re trying to do good for the village now and they just don’t understand yet.” Temari reassured him, trying to keep the peace.

He looked up at her with his big, pale eyes and nodded. Something about his expression made Temari’s heart hurt.

 _He looks so fucking sad…_

The waitress finally arrived and took their orders nervously before leaving in a rush.

“Can you believe that asshole?” Kankuro was still fuming.

“H-Hey… maybe let’s talk about something else.” Temari said, trying to help her youngest brother have a taste of normalcy.

“I wish for Naruto Uzumaki to come stay with us.” Gaara said.

His siblings blinked at him. For Gaara to request to have anyone over was not just rare, it was unheard of. What they didn’t realize is that he thought about seeing Naruto every day. He would ask the elders himself if they would allow such an invitation to be sent, but he knew the outcome would not be positive. If one of his siblings sent for him, however, it could be possibly negotiated. 

“Who?” Kankuro asked, confused.

“Naruto… the blonde boy who fought me at the Hidden Leaf. He’s like me. He saved me… and told me that if I ever felt lonely in this place again to go to him, but I can’t leave without an order so… I would like for him to come here.”

Temari and Kankuro stared at him.

“Uh… I don’t know if he would..---” Temari started.

“He would.” Said Gaara, completely sure of it.

“Well… I mean you could always ask him? Why don’t you write to him?” She suggested. 

“I…could. You would need to convince the elders... I can't do that part.”

Gaara thought about what he should say in such a letter. Kankuro was beyond puzzled by this point. He remembered the blonde kid and had thought he was incredibly obnoxious.

_Why would he be buddies with that guy of all people? And what would Gaara even do with a friend? I’ve only seen him laugh while killing people…_

“I mean... we could probably make that happen. So… when he gets here, what will you do?”

“I want to hold his hand again.” He said without hesitation.

“Oh... uh...”

Kankuro had not expected that answer and with such bluntness. He fumbled over his words, trying to back track his question. Temari couldn't help but snicker at his discomfort. 

“I... uh... didn’t know you swung that way…”

“Swung… that way?”

Gaara was perplexed. His brother was being cryptic and acting nervous. 

_Did I say something wrong?_

Temari smiled at her little brother.

“Ignore him, Gaara. So, tell me more about this Naruto kid?”

Gaara went on to talk about him for most of the remainder of the evening. He did not know what his growing feelings meant, only that he missed the blonde desperately. The more he allowed himself to love others, the more he craved the love that Naruto had to offer. He desperately chased after that feeling of his affection and longed for the day he would be allowed to touch him again. 

The three went home without incident. Temari and Kankuro almost felt comfortable with their nearly estranged brother. They had gotten to know him a little for the first time. The idea that he could have character traits, like being a massive book worm, for example, was strange to them. As they approached their home, they were intercepted by a high ranking Jounin. 

“Lord Kankuro! You and your team have been summoned for an emergency mission. The Hidden Leaf is requesting immediate assistance!”

The man had Gaara's full attention. 

_Will I really get to see you so soon, Naruto?_

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sakura had awoken from her unconsciousness on the bench, freezing and disoriented. Once she realized where she was, she immediately panicked. Her heart felt broken and betrayed. She had intense feelings of anger toward her village.

_How could they treat people like that? He looked so sick... and now he's gone._

The tears began to form in the corners of her eyes again. She had to confront the elders. They were the ones responsible for the mess he was in. Maybe with enough persuasion, she could get them to assemble a team to go after him. She ran as fast as she could through hurting joints and a strained neck before she reached the door to the Hokage’s office. She knocked on the door frantically, but a woman’s voice answered telling her to come in, _a young woman._

Sakura opened the door to find Tsunade sitting at the Hokage’s desk with stacks of paperwork and books in a mess throughout it.

_She’s beautiful… but who is she?_

“Um.. excuse me, but I’m looking for Kohaku a---”

“Ugh, _that_ woman. She left here as of this morning.” Tsunade said seriously.

Sakura’s eyes grew wide.

“What do you want kid, I have a lot to do.”

“I-It’s regarding S-Sasuke Uchiha. H-He’s gone missing a-and…” Her voice began to break. “I have reason to believe that he’s going with Orochimaru.”

Tsunade froze and met Sakura's eyes for the first time since she had entered the room.

“When was the last time you saw him?”

“Just last night, I…. I tried to stop him, but he said he would leave anyway… but… before that I hadn’t seen him in weeks. The elders said… he was being helped, but when I saw him he was beaten and bruised... and he was so thin.”

Sakura could not help the tears that had been threatening to run down her cheeks. Tsunade’s expression changed to one of grave seriousness. She walked up to Sakura and put her hand on her shoulder.

“We won’t be tolerating that kind of shit in this village anymore.” Tsunade said, looking in Sakura’s eyes.

“SHIZUNE! Go find a captain for a search and rescue team for Sasuke Uchiha.”

Her voice was loud and commanding.

“Understood!”

Shizune ran out of the room, grateful to be doing something other than paperwork. 

“U-um.. who are you?” Sakura asked, confused that a woman was sitting in the Hokage’s seat for the first time.

“I’m the 5th Hokage. My name is Tsunade and I’m going to help this village.”

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Loud knocks slammed against Naruto’s door and his eyes shot open from a deep slumber. He sat up and the door kept banging against it's hinges.

“ALRIGHT ALRIGHT I’m coming!!” He said, irritated and half asleep.

He walked up to the door and opened it to see a frantic Sakura.

“He’s gone. Naruto, he’s gone. He left. I tried to convince him to stay… I’m so sorry he just walked away and I couldn’t—”

“WOAH… slow down! Who!?”

“Sasuke! He left…”

Naruto’s eyes grew wide. He had arrived back to Konoha the night before only hours before Sasuke’s departure. His plans for that morning were to visit him in the hospital. His face turned to one of distress.

“Let me get dressed. Wait for me.”

Naruto quickly shut the door and began getting dressed as quickly as he could. He went to his nightstand where his headband usually sat and noticed it wasn’t by itself. He stared at Sasuke’s headband sitting on his nightstand. It confirmed that he had left on purpose. Anger began to swell rapidly within him. 

_How dare you leave like that… Sasuke._

He opened the door once he was ready and was about to go when Sakura pushed him back inside of his room. She shut the door.

“I have something important to tell you about him.” She said nervously. “…and it has to do with the village.”

“What are you talking about?”

“They…They took him from the hospital. He was gone almost the entire time that you were gone, and I have no idea where he was.” Her voice was shaking. “…but something was really wrong, Naruto. I-I saw him as he was leaving, and I tried to talk him out of it. You could tell they had done something horrible to him. He had bruises and cuts and… he looked like he hadn’t slept in days. He looked so sick.” She covered her mouth trying to suppress a sob. “…and when he first went missing, we asked the elders about it and they told us he is being helped, but that didn’t look like help at all.”

“He was being… _helped_?”

Naruto stared at her with furrowed eyebrows and remembered what Sasuke had told him the night of their first real kiss. 

“No... I mean I think it's some kind of evil place where they try to _fix_ you but I think he was being tortured for it... I mean... I…I know…about you and Sasuke. I found out at the Chunin Exams and he told me not to tell you.” 

She could not stop her tears again. Naruto lowered his head and processed what she said in silence.

“Don’t be scared. I’m going to bring him back… and then I’m going to find that place and destroy it. I promise.”

He spoke with a fiery growl that caused her to get goose bumps. She could feel the nine-tails chakra emulating from him. She managed to half smile and nod at his reassurance. His confidence was always so contagious. They left his apartment and met with Shikamaru who had already been given orders to create a 5-person team to go after Sasuke. Choji, Kiba, and Neji joined them for their A-rank mission and they set off immediately. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

“Sasuke, this should be a good place to _do it_. We’re far enough from the village.” Said Sakun.

“What is it?” He asked with irritation in his voice.

He was eager to get as far away from the village as possible and hated Sakun's incessant vagueness. 

“It’s one last order from Orochimaru.” Sakun smirked.

“What the fuck is it already?” He snapped.

Sakun ignored his immature tone and an evil grin spread across his face. 

“You… must die once.” 

“You want me to... die?”

_What would be the point of all this if I didn’t come back…_

Sakun took out a small vile of pills.

“…what the hell is that?”

Sasuke watched him carefully.

“Seishin-gan. It’s going to bring your curse seal to the next level. If you don’t use it, going to the next level will kill you.” He said simply.

Sasuke made a fist and tightened it. He had wished for death so many times in that cell that he no longer feared it, but it was still daunting.

“What will happen... when I die?” He asked, ready to accept his fate.

“That’s why we’re here. Our barrier jutsu is going to make it so you just fall into a coma.”

Sakun took Sasuke’s hand and put one of the small pills in it. Sasuke’s heart sped up as he looked down at what may be either be the path to his death or the path to Itachi’s death.

“…and just how reliable are your barrier skills.” He asked, having second thoughts.

“The best. Orochimaru wouldn’t settle for less. Rest your weary mind, Sasuke.” Sakun reassured.

Sasuke glared at him and threw the pill in his mouth and swallowed. He bent over as the pain hit his stomach and fell to the ground. He was out within seconds.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The rescue team assembled for Sasuke fought with everything they had against the Sound Four, but despite each of them risking their lives for the safety and security of their comrade, they had been unsuccessful thus far. Orochimaru waited impatiently for Sasuke’s arrival as his arms were decaying at a rapid rate. He had wanted to use Sasuke’s body right then, but he could not wait any longer and used a temporary body who he held in his dungeon like prison.

Despite Naruto having Sasuke in his arms, he had been ripped away by Kimimaru who had then fled. His teammates had been left behind to fight the Sound Four, risking their lives to do so. Even though he was on his own, he was determined.

_You fucking left. You really fucking left us… you left me._

He swallowed his emotions and allowed anger to fuel him as he moved through the branches at an incredible speed. He finally caught up with Kimimaru. The strange pale man turned his head and stared at him with his cold dying eyes. He set Sasuke down and a sharp bone creeped out from beneath his sleeve making a terrible cracking noise.

Naruto’s body felt hot with Nine-Tails chakra coursing through his veins. His eyes had turned to slits and his teeth to fangs.

“What does that disgusting pervert Orochimaru want with Sasuke!?” Naruto roared.

“Orochimaru wants… to use his body as his own. For power.” Said Kimimaru.

“I won’t let that happen!”

_What the fuck? …he wants his body!?_

In a seemingly impossible amount of time, Naruto summoned upwards of a thousand shadow clones and attacked. Kimimaru expertly slayed each one. His movements and attacks were accompanied by the continuous crackling of bones breaking and growing again. They spurted out of his body as weapons in various and creative ways making him a killing machine. Once the shadow clones had been diminished, he pulled his entire right arm bone structure out of his body and welded and shaped it into a razor sharp blade.

The cylindrical container that Sasuke was held in had begun to gush with the purple smoke that had left his body in the Forest of Death. Naruto tried not to think about what was going on in the wooden cylinder as he dodged and attacked Kimimaru. A loud crack followed by an explosion sent pieces of wood flying throughout the field. Naruto did not know _what_ he saw come out of the cylinder, but it was not Sasuke. Not the version of him that he knew.

Sasuke’s eyes had shot awake and an uncontrollable power surged through his body. For the first time in weeks, he felt incredible. His senses were heightened, and the world seemed brighter. Orochimaru had saved him from the hell that was Konoha and he would repay his debt. He looked down at his hands which had grown into long webbed claws. He breathed in the air…

_You’re here already, are you?_

“…Sasuke?” Naruto said, horrified at what he had just witnessed. “Sasuke… what are you doing with these people? What’s going on?”

His teammate did not respond but began cackling harder and harder until his laugh echoed through the field. The euphoria was too much. He had never felt anything like this before. It had ingrained itself into him like an anchor to the ocean floor. All of his cursed suffering would be worth it for that feeling. The gratification of killing his brother would come easily now.

“SASUKE! LISTEN TO ME! PLEASE!” Naruto begged him.

Sasuke ignored his pleas and took off into the forest. Naruto started to go after him but was blocked a near hit from Kimimaru. Thankfully Rock Lee had shown up to deflect the attack at the perfect moment. 

“Bushy brows!?” Naruto exclaimed.

“I’ve got this!” Lee said determined. “You go after Sasuke!”

Naruto nodded and immediately fled to the trees.

_Sasuke you’re not okay, but please let me help._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music - Your Guardian Angel by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus  
> I Want to Hold Your Hand, Across the Universe version.


	28. Saying Goodbye

The sake caused Lee's blood to thin and pump quickly from his wounds. It streamed down his face as he tried to stand his ground against Kimimaru. He was running out of options and on top of that, his body was not at 100%. He would have to think of something fast or he would be in trouble. Before he could blink, Kimimaru was in his face with a sharp-edged bone only to be blocked by compressed sand. Lee panicked for a moment, thinking the sand would attack him too, but looked back to see that Gaara was standing behind him and was looking at Kimimaru.

_He just… saved my life!_

He moved his elbow and realized he had fallen on a soft bed of sand too. Gaara had been aching for a chance to engage in a formidable battle. It was like having a cheat day for him. It allowed him to let loose if he had to because his opponents would come at him with the intent to kill… so he had the privilege to do the same. He did find it ironic, however, that the person he had rescued was the same boy who’s limbs he had destroyed during the Chunin exam.

_I will need to apologize for that… somehow, but he also should not have rushed in to battle after what I did to him._

“You’re too hasty… you used to be faster…”

Gaara did not have a way with words, but his intentions were to tell Lee how to be careful so that he could better protect himself.

“As if you didn’t have anything to do with it!” Lee said, still concerned that his attempted murderer was standing before him.

_I may have offended him._

Gaara stayed silent.

“I’m not holding any grudges, but I’ve been through a lot because of you.” Lee said seriously. “…But why are you here?”

“I owe someone a large debt…”

Lee struggled to get himself upright. Although he was bloodied and unwell, he stood in his battle stance. Gaara stared at him, concerned.

_Why is he trying to get killed?_

“I will handle it.”

Lee ignored Gaara and began to confidently walk toward Kimimaru. 

“No! You can be the backup! I got thi---”

He fell face first into the grass as Gaara had grabbed him by the ankle.

_He’s going to die if I don’t keep him here… and I’ve never been backup._

Lee panicked at the feeling of having Gaara’s sand around his ankle again.

“CAN YOU PLEASE LET GO?”

“I will handle it. You can’t do anything.”

Gaara tried to reason with him, but it seemed impossible. 

_I will just have to keep an eye on him I guess._

Kimimaru launched his attacks at Gaara at full-speed, all ineffective against the iron-rich sand. 

“What a silly name. You can’t do anything unless you have that sand. How boring.” Kimimaru said, thinking it stupid to have to carry around a giant gourd everywhere.

His legs were suddenly wrapped with the sand followed by the rest of his body.

“…But with sand I can do anything. You’re the foolish one. Where there is dirt there is sand and I can create it effortlessly.”

His excitement grew as he raised his coffin of sand off the ground.

_DIE!!_

Blood spurted out of the coffin, but not as much as usual. It wasn’t nearly as satisfying.

Kimimaru’s hand emerged from the coffin followed by the rest of his body. He had changed form and was covered in his curse mark seal.

“I underestimated you…” Kimimaru said in between breathes.

He had blocked the sand with bone beneath his skin, but layers of his skin had been removed completely causing some of his skin to look as if it would fall off in fleshy pieces.

“You’re not the first.” Gaara said coldly.

He used his Desert Avalanche jutsu which transformed the surrounding acres to quicksand. Kimimaru sunk beneath the surface despite his efforts. Gaara compressed the newly formed desert at once to be hard as a diamond.

“Did you… get him?” Lee asked, amazed at Gaara’s new jutsus.

“No.”

_Still no satisfaction._

Kimimaru emerged, more creature than man and broke through Gaara’s sand, hitting him hard enough to fly back. His sand caught him in time, but the impact had still caused the sand shield on his face and body to crack. Lee then stupidly tried to attack Kimimaru again and was almost hit full force by the terrible tail that had grown out of Kimimaru. Gaara acted quickly and softened the impact before it could hit Lee with a fatal blow.

Just when Lee thought it couldn’t get creepier, Kimimaru reached behind him and began to pull at his peaking spine at the bottom of his neck. Each vertebra cracked awfully as it reformed in his body and dripped with fluid as it exited his body slowly. A twisted and bloody interpretation of a flower also grew from Kimimaru’s arm. He took aim at Gaara and attacked, but was blocked by his new specialty defense which took the form of Shukaku.

“You’re going to die today.”

Gaara couldn’t help but notice the blood spurting out of Kimimaru’s mouth.

“Even if I do… as long as I am living out Orochimaru’s dream, I will be in his heart forever.”

“Soulless follower.”

Gaara swallowed Kimimaru into a steep pit of quicksand which sunk him 100 meters into the ground. A protruding bone appeared in the sand followed by hundreds more that stood over 30 feet tall. Gaara acted quickly and pulled himself and Lee off the ground.

“This is really amazing!”

Lee marveled at Gaara’s ability to just levitate him. Gaara looked at him, eyes wide.

 _No one has ever called me amazing in a good way before._

“It’s… nothing. I do it all the time.”

Suddenly Kimimaru plunged from within the bones with his weapon drawn. He was headed straight for Gaara and stopped only inches from his face. Kimimaru looked at him with blood dripping in copious amounts out of his mouth.

“WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW!?” Kimimaru screamed at Gaara. “I MADE THE DECISION!”

He trailed off, his face frozen in a scream, and took his last breath. Gaara breathed heavily as he felt the excitement of death tingle throughout his body coupled with the adrenaline from near death.

_There it is. My satisfaction._

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sasuke and Naruto stood atop the heads of Madara and Hashirama at the Valley of the End. Sasuke had stopped atop the head of Madara when he heard Naruto scream his name closely behind him.

_Should I… do it now… and get it over with…_

He thought about what Itachi had said to him – that he had to kill the one he cared about most.

_I can’t…_

He began to walk away again.

“So you’re just gonna run away!?” Naruto demanded, incredibly upset that Sasuke was just ignoring him after everything.

Sasuke paused again and turned toward Naruto. The level 2 curse had retreated from making him looking otherworldly, but the mark was still present on half of his body.

“Hey… dumbass… are you going to try to stop me now?”

_He really was a dumbass for even staying in Konoha himself. Look at how they treated him._

The euphoric feeling was still lingering from when he had first escaped. He didn’t feel remorse for leaving anyone. It was all just blissful ignorance.

Naruto could not understand how nonchalant Sasuke was acting. The Uchiha began to laugh maniacally. It was haunting. He had never laughed like that before.

_He’s acting like he’s batshit insane._

“Sasuke, what happened to you? I haven’t seen you in weeks…Why? What made you this way?”

“Let me make this clear for you. My childish, stupid, and pointless games with you are done, Naruto. You want to know what the fuck happened to me? I got thrown in that evil fucking place… and it was YOUR fault!” He screamed.

Naruto dipped his head.

_That hurt._

“No… it wasn’t. We risked our lives to come find you. We… _I_ _CARE_ about you! Fuck the guys that put you in there!”

“Well good for you guys I guess.” He sneered sarcastically.

Naruto’s rage boiled over and he rushed to tackle Sasuke, pinning him to the ground. Sasuke just stared at him with a smug look on his face. Naruto punched him, forcing him to turn his cheek to the dirt. He looked back at Naruto and spat the blood in his mouth on his face. Naruto pulled him roughly using the collar of his shirt so he could stare at him closely in the eyes. Sasuke’s lip trembled before he spoke.

“I’m going to Orochimaru because I have to. If I stayed with you, I would stay weak.”

“You think he’s just gonna give that power for free!? He wants your body, Sasuke… like to use it as a meat puppet! He might fucking kill you! I can’t just sit by and let you go somewhere like that!”

“I don’t care what he does to me. I will do whatever it takes... even if that means killing you.” Sasuke said while gritting his teeth.

Naruto recoiled back at Sasuke’s traitorous words. 

“Then I guess I will have to beat some fucking sense into YOUR thick skull!”

“You’re just being arrogant! Do you really think we’re equal?” Sasuke snapped.

He grabbed Naruto's jacket tightly. 

“I’ve never thought of myself as inferior to you so who’s really the arrogant one!?” Naruto snarled.

His tone turned soft but was shaking with emotion.

“This isn’t how I wanted things to go with you.”

Naruto had a look of anguish on his face. Sasuke grimaced.

“Why the should I give a FUCK about you!?”

Sasuke punched him hard in the stomach causing him to spit blood and go crashing into the waterfall. The power from the curse surged through Sasuke's veins and he felt more shivers of the euphoric feeling. It was addicting. Naruto crawled out of the water and went after Sasuke. He avoided another violent attack from the Uchiha and used his shadow clones to swing back around and kick him, slamming him into the ground.

“Wake the fuck up Sasuke!” Naruto yelled.

“I have been awake this entire time… I’ve been deluding myself with my dreams, but I will never do what I need to do if I stay there. That’s exactly why I’m leaving. I don’t get to follow my dream.”

Sasuke landed another brutal punch in Naruto’s stomach which sent him into the water again. He pulled himself up out of the water once more.

“So… you really do want me to die… Do you hate me? Does anything that happened mean anything to you or were you just using me?” Naruto said angrily.

“No. I consider you to be the person I'm closest with."

“Then why are you doing this?” Naruto said, trying to fight tears from forming.

“That’s exactly why I have to kill you.” Sasuke said, with sadness in his voice.

“I don’t understand… but I don’t believe you would kill me.” Naruto said, staring back up at Sasuke.

They ran at each other with fists ready and attacked, blocked, and attacked again.

“I **_am_** going to kill you, Naruto!” Sasuke yelled.

He was partially convincing himself by putting it into words before activating his Chidori in one of his hands. Naruto followed suit and began gathering chakra for the Rasengan. They collided causing a massive explosion which made both fly backwards dozens of feet. Naruto was sure of it now. Sasuke was trying to kill him. His heart began to break again as he laid face up in the water. He couldn’t help the tears from coming, but he still got up. 

_He really wants me to die._

Sasuke’s mark had spread across his body. His mind felt different somehow. Colder. He didn’t have those gnawing thoughts about possibilities of happiness which had led his life during his time on team 7.

“You’re naïve Naruto.” He said. “…to think that someone like me would live a happy life.”

He set off his fireball jutsu with full force followed by a barrage of successful hits. He grabbed the limp body Naruto and held him up by his collar. His Chidori was almost ready.

_This is it… do it… just do it. Get rid of it. Do it.. DO IT.. DO IT!!!_

In an impulsive and intense moment of self hatred, he plunged his hand toward the blonde's heart. Naruto jerked his body violently. The attack still hit causing blood to drip down Naruto’s chest and arm but missed his heart.

_Maybe… I was the only one who thought we had something… but I won’t give up._

“That was pointless… It will still be fatal.” Sasuke said with a sadistic smirk on his face.

The energy from the curse mark was rushing through him. It felt relentless and it felt good. His emotions were quiet and his power was immense. He would do what he had to in order to end it all. He wrapped his bloodied hand around Naruto’s neck and began to choke him. Naruto grabbed Sasuke’s hand and snapped it almost instantly causing him to cry out. The chakra began to flood the area into a monstrous size. It would have been vastly intimidating to any opponent. Naruto’s shoulder wound healed almost instantly.

“I won’t let you go… even if I have to break both arms and legs.” He said with tears now dripping from his eyes.

Sasuke had never felt any chakra so intense. It was otherworldly.

“What… are you?” He asked Naruto in horrified amazement.

“The one who cares about you the most... which is why I will NEVER give up!” Naruto roared back.

Naruto came for Sasuke in all of his incredible power and landed several hits before slamming him so hard against the wall that his body became embedded in it. Naruto straddled him again with his arm up against Sasuke’s neck. The pressure of the chakra was incredible and Sasuke’s body was beginning to feel very weak. The curse mark had receded and suddenly the emotions that he had so easily suppressed came quaking to the surface.

“WAKE UP, SASUKE! That path holds nothing but turmoil for you! We at least have a shot at something if you come home… and if you don’t… I will have to force you.” 

“Shut the fuck up, Naruto! You don’t know what it’s like to be in my position! You’ve never had a family and you don’t know what it means to have them RIPPED AWAY!!” He screamed before kicking Naruto off of him. “What makes us suffer on this cruel earth… is our bonds.”

Naruto skidded to a halt further down the wall.

“You’re right. I don’t understand what that’s like.” He looked down. “Sometimes I wonder what it’s like to have a father when I’m with Iruka … and when I’m with you… sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be with someone.”

Sasuke’s face twisted from the emotional battle going on in his mind. He wanted to scream, cry, run away and part of him just wanted to laugh.

“Why go this far me?” He asked sadly.

“You’re the first person I’ve ever bonded with which is why I will never give up.” 

Sasuke broke free of the wall and approached Naruto. His Sharingan had evolved again. He would end it now.

“I’m going to sever that bond then.” He said coldly. “Once I sever it… it will give me the strength that I need to do what I must.” He paused. “And fine… I do see you as my equal, but that doesn’t change the fact that you won’t be able to leave a scratch on me.”

“I hope you don’t mean that…” Naruto said sadly.

“Come at me.”

Naruto bolted in his direction at amazing speed, but Sasuke could see it with ease. He landed several hits and knocked Naruto back into the water again, this time rendering his body useless. The nine-tales pushed his body into movement again.

**_YOU BETTER BE GRATEFUL, BOY. YOU ARE WEAK._ **

The Kyuubi’s booming voice resounded from inside Naruto’s body. He resurfaced with the Kyuubi’s boiling chakra taking shape. Sasuke watched nervously. The limit to Naruto’s power seemed non-existent. He came at Sasuke like a fiery hurricane. Regardless of Sasuke’s efforts, he was unable to fend off the wrath of the Kyuubi. His level 2 curse was able to form just in time to take a monstrous punch to the face.

“Naruto… you’re pretty damn special, but I’m more special than you.”

Sasuke felt the intense euphoria once again. It pumped through his veins making him feel incredibly powerful. No way Naruto would match his strength now. His body morphed into its final form which had caused his skin to go grey and large leathery wings with pointed bat-like claws to burst from his shirt. The growths destroyed the Uchiha symbol on his back. Despite the power surging through him, he could tell he was at his body’s limit. He had been isolated beneath ground for weeks and despite training inside his cell, it wasn’t anywhere near the same rigorous training he had usually subjected himself to.

The two looked at each other with rage in their hearts. Both were too different from the other to fully empathize with the other. They began to gather their chakra once again. Sasuke’s Chidori sparked loudly as it made contact with the water in the air and Naruto’s Rasengan spun powerfully in his hand humming like a freight train about to pull it’s several ton load. They rushed toward each other and collided like thunder and lightning. The explosion it created could have been heard from miles. Kakashi certainly heard it as he rushed to his team members, desperate to try to prevent them from killing one another.

Sasuke lied motionless for a moment. The 2nd level curse had saved his life, but his body was incredibly weary. He breathed heavily and sat up, but blood dropped from his forehead. He touched it to feel a large bloody gash. Had it gone deeper, he may have been dead. He looked over to see Naruto on the ground unconscious. He hobbled over to the boy as the sky darkened with threatening clouds.

“Naruto… I…” He whispered to him as he stood over his unconscious body.

Before he could get his words out, droplets of water began to fall on his face followed by an onslaught of pouring rain which promptly soaked him to his skin. He looked up and felt the rain on his face. It was incredible but was interrupted by the sudden horrible pain coming from his left arm, stomach, and legs. He coughed up blood and collapsed directly over Naruto. His heart ached as he thought about killing him again. When the curse had control of his body, he had lost the ability to feel that part, but now it was back flooding into his system and _good god_ did it hurt. It made it that much harder for him to live out his purpose, but he knew what he had to do.

 _Fuck what Itachi wants. I will find power my own way_.

Tears dripped down his face as he kissed Naruto goodbye thinking that he would never see him again. He was gone by the time Kakashi arrived. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The passing trees in the rain seemed to be part of a dream as Naruto’s dreary eyes cracked open for a few moments. Kakashi was holding him as he raced back toward Konoha. His weary mind replayed Sasuke’s voice in his head.

_I’ll kill you._

He looked back behind him and recognized the area he was in. He would be home soon… without Sasuke. A tear slid out of his right eye as he closed his eyes again and gave into unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music - Forever by Papa Roach


	29. Heartbroken

The wails of a shattered soul echoed through the hospital walls. Sakura sat not far from Naruto’s room desperately trying to manage her own bleeding heart. She had truly believed that Naruto would have been able to bring Sasuke back. When he didn’t, the reality hit them heavier than the weight of mountains.

Naruto had awoken in an agony so new and foreign that it had drastically overwhelmed his young mind. The desperate and anguished cries had not stopped since he had woken three hours earlier. His chest hurt wildly in a way that it never had before even through all of his loneliness. It was to the point where it pushed him from rational thought. Several, including Sakura, had tried to console him and he met each with intensely sharp words warning them to back away. He just wanted to be alone. For the first time, he did not want to be acknowledged by anyone.

The rejection Sakura felt from Naruto only added to the pain swelling in her own heart. She knew he was in pain but she never expected him to shut people out like that. It was unlike him. The door to the hall of the hospital opened and to her shock and horror, Gaara slowly entered. He was eager to see Naruto again despite the circumstances. Even if Sasuke was gone, he would be there for him. He owed him an enormous debt and had every intention of repaying it. 

“W-why are you here?” Sakura stammered, confused and hoping that the day would not get worse than it already had.

“I came to see Naruto.” Gaara said calmly.

“Why!? What do you want with him?” She said with anger in her trembling voice. “Can’t you tell he’s already been through enough!?”

“Sakura! It’s alright now!”

Lee followed Gaara inside.

“He saved my life… uh… actually a few times.” He had a smile on his face as he spoke.

Once the sound of Naruto's soft sobs became clear, his face fell. 

“Did Sasuke….” Lee started solemnly.

Sakura just shook her head as more tears threatened to come from her own burning red eyes. Gaara walked past her and lifted his hand to the door.

“He doesn’t want to see anyone.” She said shakily. “He told me he wants to be alone.”

He paused and thought about all the times where he had screamed at people to leave him alone. Looking back it had been a desperate cry for comfort.

“I don’t care what he said. I will handle it. Go home to your beds.”

They both stared at Gaara. Sakura was skeptical, but if there was any chance that Gaara could help, she would let him. Lee sat down next to Sakura after Gaara entered the room and embraced her. She leaned into the much needed embrace. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Naruto heard the incessant door open and close again to allow yet another person in the room to try to fix what could not be mended. He was tired of it. There was no fixing this problem. Sasuke was gone and he had tried to kill him in the process. It had been a complete betrayal. An unimaginable event. His heart had been utterly shattered. 

“I SAID GET OUT!” He screamed and threw the vase on the nightstand next to him at the intruder.

He expected to hear it shatter, but instead he heard a cork pop followed by the soft sifting of sand. He looked over to see Gaara putting the vase down safely and carefully. His eyes widened as he remembered Gaara's words at the exams.

_Why is he here? To rub it in my face?_

“Gaara… What are you doing here? I… I don’t want to see anyone. You should go.” Naruto said through short shaky breaths.

“No.” Gaara said calmly and assertively before walking up to Naruto.

_He’s hard to argue with._

“Please… look, I know you were right, and everyone just wants to try to help but I just.. want to be alone.”

“Is that really true? You think _I_ am to believe you about such claims of _wanting_ to be alone?”

Gaara stared at Naruto from the side of his bed. Naruto’s lip trembled and the water from his eyes began to flow again.

“If you truly want me to leave, I will. I just want to be here for you. I don't need to say anything.” Gaara said calmly.

_I’m going to kill that Uchiha._

The words just caused Naruto to cry harder and turn back over on his side to face the dark rainy window. He grabbed the tear soaked pillow he had been clinging to for the last several hours and buried his face into it again. He was glad that Gaara was there and he had missed him, however, he felt embarrassed to be seen by him in his current emotional state.

Gaara remembered having nights like these. It had been a blinding torment to discover that what he had once thought of as love had turned into betrayal and dishonesty. In those moments he had yearned so desperately for arms around him to make the bad things disappear. He wanted to give to Naruto what he couldn’t have and decided to take a chance.

He removed his gourd and set it on the hospital floor nearby the bed before sitting on the bed next to him. 

"Why are you here?" Naruto said through gasps. 

"To see you." 

The blonde looked at him with surprise and remembered how he had told Gaara to come to him should his village ever treat him wrongly.

"...things tough at home?" 

"Yes... but I'm concerned for you, not me." 

Naruto finally turned to meet his gaze and saw the worry on Gaara's face. They stared at one another silently for a few moments before Gaara spoke again. 

"May I... lay here with you?"

Naruto blinked at the unexpected question. 

"...If you really want to." 

He rolled back over to face the window again, unable to care much one way or another. 

Gaara took off his shoes and slowly climbed into the bed behind him. He laid there quietly for several moments listening to Naruto's soft sobs. He could not understand why, but he found it very difficult to ask his next question. 

"May I also... hold you?" 

Naruto blushed at the bold words. He partially turned back over to meet Gaara's eyes. They somehow looked innocent and he realized that platonic touch was something that he was starting to take for granted. He remembered that prior to meeting his friends, the touches with other human beings had stood out with great significance. For someone like Gaara, that touch had not existed since he had been a small child.

With a pained expression on his face, Naruto shook his head yes. He turned back toward the window and scooted backward ever so slightly. Gaara carefully wrapped his left arm around Naruto's waist and slipped his right below the blonde's head. He moved his body against his and rested his face inches away from the back of Naruto's neck. Naruto had never been held from behind like that before. The sensation was incredibly comforting. 

_This feels… nice…_

“Thank you..” Naruto almost whispered.

Gaara stayed silent, but squeezed Naruto closer to his chest. Touch was something the two had been starved of during their short lifetimes. They reveled in it like an ocean in the Sahara.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Lee and Sakura stared at each other in shock as they noticed the wailing had stopped. The initial sound of Naruto’s disdain for Gaara entering the room had them thinking that it was not about to go well.

_Should I… check on them?_

Sakura just wanted to make sure Gaara wasn’t trying to kill him. She tried to open the door, but it was quickly shut and locked by Gaara’s sand.

“Can we really trust Gaara?”

Sakura turned to Lee for reassurance. She just wasn’t sure what to do.

“Yes.” Lee said assuredly. “He’s different now. He even apologized for my injuries… and uh.. not to mention all he was talking about on the way here is how he wanted to see Naruto. Something about owing him a massive debt. I really think he was worried as strange as it is.”

She smiled at him and nodded.

_If you believe in him, then I can too._

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The storm raged intensely as Sasuke limped in the direction of the Hidden Sound. He was breathing heavily, and his body would not allow him to push it much more. He had made it the last three miles using sheer will power alone. Everything hurt and he had not slept. His eyes began to see in tunnel vision.

_No, not now. I must stay awake._

He took a few more labored steps before his mind forced him into unconsciousness. It would be hours before Kabuto finally spotted him on the muddy forest floor.

_My my… you’ve really out done yourself. Have you died so soon?_

Kabuto checked Sasuke’s pulse. It was weak and his breaths were shallow. His lips were blue, and his face was almost paper white.

_You’re in terrible shape._

He picked the boy up and healed him with his jutsu as he made his way to Orochimaru’s base. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sasuke awoke and sat up in a panic. He did not recognize the room he was in and the smell of dead flesh lingered in the air. All around him was medical equipment, but not like any he had ever seen before. His vision was blurry, and his body still felt like it had been hit by a truck.

“You woke up sooner than I thought you would have.” Kabuto said while mixing medicine on the counter nearby.

He turned to face Sasuke with a vile in his hand.

“You were almost dead.”

He handed the vile to Sasuke who cautiously took it from Kabuto’s hand.

“What is it?” Sasuke asked, suspicious.

“Medicine. Don’t worry, Sasuke. I would never betray Orochimaru by doing harm to you. You’re his precious vessel, after all.” Kabuto spoke with a sly grin.

“Don’t patronize me.” He said before throwing his head back and letting the medicine slide down his throat.

He couldn’t help but make a face at the bitter taste and coughed lightly to try to calm his gag reflex. Kabuto’s expression changed from a smirk to serious.

“You could at least be a little grateful.”

Sasuke did not respond.

_I have nothing to be grateful for._

Kabuto studied him for a few moments before turning toward the door.

“Orochimaru will want to see you now that you’re awake. Sit tight.”

Kabuto left the room quickly. Sasuke hung his head and looked at his damaged hands with fresh scars from the Chidori. He would have gotten up to look around, but he feared that if he tried to stand, he would just collapse. It felt surreal to be there and the place gave him the creeps. The lighting was not far off from the facility in Konoha and sparked bad memories of his abuse. He closed his eyes tightly and opened them again.

 _I will do whatever I have to do to kill you, Itachi._

“Sasuke… You’re alive. I had begun to wonder.”

The snake-like voice came from behind him and sent shivers up Sasuke’s spine. He swiveled his head to see Orochimaru. He had bandages throughout his body, but still held the same cold yellow eyes. Sasuke had never seen them so closely before.

“You’ve done remarkably well to make it this far. Your power has never ceased to impress me, Sasuke.”

Orochimaru licked his lips with his long disturbing tongue.

“With my help, you will become strong enough to take what it rightfully yours. All I have to do now is paint you in my colors.”

Sasuke tried to hold back his disgust, but his feelings didn’t matter anymore. He had given away any selfish motivation that day. His path to power would know no limits.

“I can do whatever you need me to do.”

Orochimaru cackled lowly.

“Very good, Sasuke. Get well quickly. The path ahead of us is long.”

Although Sasuke did plan to do _nearly_ whatever it took to obtain power, he never intended on letting Orochimaru have his body in the end. Orochimaru would die before he got the chance. He would make sure of it.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Birds chirped cheerfully outside the hospital window which was now open. Children could be heard laughing and playing in the street below. Naruto’s eyes opened slowly and he noticed Gaara’s arm was missing. He sat up and looked over his shoulder to see that he had left. He let out a big shaky sigh and put his head back on the pillow.

_What’s that?_

A thin piece of hardened sand into a stone like substance sat on the nightstand near him with engraved writing.

 _"I had to go home. Come find me when you’re ready."_

Naruto put his fingertip over the engraved words. 

_I will, Gaara. Thank you…_

He did feel better physically after having slept through the night, but the lingering ache of his heart still felt heavy on his chest. Just thinking of Sasuke’s name made the tears want to come back up full force. A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts followed by Sakura entering with food for him. She stopped and stared at him.

“You’re awake!” She exclaimed.

“H-hey…” Naruto started sheepishly knowing that he had yelled at her the night before to get out of his room.

To be fair, whenever he used the Nine-Tails chakra, he noticed his emotions were less manageable.

“S-Sakura… I’m… sorry… I couldn’t…”

He hung his head low and his eyes began to fill to the brim with tears again. She put the tray down and approached him. He opened his mouth to try to explain more but was met with a tight embrace from Sakura.

“It’s okay.” She whispered as she hugged him.

He hugged her back and they stayed like that for a while before she decided to pull away and put her hands in his. 

“I failed. I did everything I could, and I still failed.” He said lowly. “…but… I’m not giving up on him.” He said, with a new wave of determination. “I’m going to bring him back no matter what it takes.”

Sakura smiled at him.

“I know you will.” She paused and collected her thoughts. “Look… you know that new Hokage? She wants to speak with us once you feel up for it.” Sakura said.

“Huh?? About what?” He asked, curiously.

“I think she’s going to help us get rid of that place they took Sasuke to.” Sakura said with more serious tone in her voice.

Naruto’s eyes widened.

_Maybe I can get you to come back if you know it’s safe here._

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

After only a full day’s rest, Naruto was able to get up and out of bed. The Jinchūriki had always healed him quickly. Even after experiencing his first broken heart, he bounced back quicker than most would have. He used the feeling of heart break for fuel to bring Sasuke back. It would be the only way to heal. He quickly got dressed and headed over to the Hokage’s office to take action. 

Tsunade was busy with her paperwork as Shizune ran throughout the office trying to organize.

“That old man really didn’t take time to do any of this kind of thing.” Shizune complained.

The door suddenly flew open causing Shizune to throw the pile of paperwork that had been in her hands. Tsunade dropped her tea making it spill over the work she had. 

“OLD LADY TSUNADE!!” Naruto yelled at the top of his lungs as he leapt through the door followed by a panicked Sakura trying to get him to calm himself. He rushed up to her desk and leaned over way too close for her comfort.

“Sakura told me you want to help us get rid of that scary place! And also I wanted to ask you about my next mission… I’m ready to go for--"

“NARUTO!” Tsunade’s voice boomed as she stood up causing him to fall backward and land on his butt. “Listen! This information I’m going to discuss with you is top-secret. Please don’t blabber your mouth about it to anyone! We have to be careful.” She said seriously. 

“Y-y-yes ma’am.”

_She’s so scary._

“Sakura, Shizune… leave us.”

Sakura and Shizune looked at each other before nodding and leaving the room. Naruto watched them leave, confused, and turned to ask why, but Tsunade was ahead of him.

“I’m going to ask you about something, and I recognize you may want to keep some information confidential, but it is important for the safety and well-being of this village.”

Naruto gulped and thought about everything embarrassing he had ever done.

“Uhh… O-okay.”

“What do you know about the facility that took Sasuke?”

Tsunade said in a softer tone. Naruto’s eyes widened when he realized that she was talking about the place Sasuke had been afraid of. 

_How did Sasuke know that would happen in the first place?_

“Oh… uhm… yeah. He told me about it…”

Naruto looked down as thought back to that night under the stars.

“What did he say?” She coaxed. 

“He said... that they take you away from everyone and that you’re forced to… do things… and they try to teach you to like girls.”

He had not considered everything that might have happened to Sasuke while being held there.

_He must have been so alone._

The tears came regardless of how much he fought them, but only a few. The 5th Hokage stared at the boy with a sunken heart. She got up to her seat and bent down to meet him eye to eye.

“I’m going to destroy that place. Understand?” She said with truth in her voice. “I won’t let anyone else suffer there.”

He smiled at her even though his eyes were still wet.

“Not without me! I made a promise and I intend to keep it!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music - Bulletproof by Kerli


	30. Abolition of Hatred

Tsunade turned her attention from the traumatized kunoichi trembling before her. She went back to her desk and began quickly scribbling something onto a scroll. 

“Uchiha, huh?”

Once she was done writing, she stood from her desk and approached Sakura. She bent down to be on her eye level and put her hand on her shoulder.

“I’m going to find him and get him away from that scary guy, okay?”

Tsunade suddenly had a kind and reassuring face that she had not shown the entire time. It was a much needed sign of hope in Sakura's increasingly dark world. 

“Kakashi may know where to look… if the Anbu are responsible for guarding it.”

“Take me to him.” She commanded.

“Tsunade! You have no time to handle a missing persons case personally right now!” Shizune tried to protest.

“This is more important. Everything else can wait.”

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

That night Tsunade began to go through the archives of Konoha looking for any information on the Uchiha clan. She knew that Madara Uchiha had been the one responsible for the strict regimens on Konoha as an effort to help the village grow powerful. She just could not find any details on the subject. She needed as much ammunition as she could find if she were to face the Council and retort their fallacious arguments. She had done what she could for Kakashi’s mind, but he would need to rest at least an additional day before he came to. He had suffered immensely from Itachi's deadly genjutsu. Typical work of an expertly trained Uchiha. She was surprised it had not killed him. 

“Tsunade it’s getting so late.” Shizune complained. 

She yawned as she continued to help her over-obsessed girlfriend find paperwork that she herself was not even sure existed.

“It’s got to be here somewhere… and if not here…”

Tsunade paused in thought. Her mind was racing through options quickly. She was brilliant in many ways and had more deductive reasoning than most gave her credit for. She just had terrible luck.

Shizune looked at her as if to say _‘what?’_

“We need to go to the Uchiha hideout just outside of town.”

She began to gather her things.

“Now!?”

Shizune thought her partner might be losing her mind as the Leaf Village leader already. It was almost 11 o’clock at night.

“Yes.”

She looked at Shizune and then walked up to her and put her mouth to her ear and whispered.

“I have reason to believe that what that young girl was talking about is a product of an oppressive and evil suborganization of Konoha that has been kidnapping young people and putting them in cages for being gay or even just _seeming_ a certain way to them. I am going to try to find the evidence this shit exists to bring it to the people of Konoha."

Shizune stared at her in shock as Tsunade continued to gather various items they may need for a potential full on battle. She continued as she rapidly paced across the room. 

"...It's likely protected by Anbu but as their Hokage, they should bend at my command. If not, I will break them. It will be dangerous. I understand if you would prefer to stay here.”

Shizune listened with a terrified expression on her face. Konoha suddenly seemed like a gruesome and dark place. No wonder Tsunade had been hesitant to accept the title. Her expression changed to a serious face and she nodded.

“I will always be right there with you.”

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The two searched the Uchiha hideout thoroughly but did not find anything on the facilities. Instead, they found something worse.

They continued their search for several minutes before Tsunade noticed an ever so slightly loose wooden board on the floor of the hideout. She destroyed the floor with her heal to reveal a booby trapped safe, intended to destroy any non-authorized user. Tsunade was familiar with this particular trap thanks to her sensei. She able to disable it in time before it destroyed several packets, bound with another cryptic jutsu. Again, her training had paid off. She pried open the safe with her incredibly strong hands and the door broke free. Archives, which had basic information on several Uchiha clan members, sat in dusty and untouched stacks. Tsunade carefully removed the one of the top causing a cloud of dust to fly into the air. They both covered their mouths with their sleeves. She carefully opened the first record. 

“These are…”

She read the document in disbelief and stayed quiet for several minutes.

“What is it!?” Shizune demanded.

“Itachi Uchiha has a different story than what we know to be true.”

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The morning had come in Konoha again. People had begun to awaken. They opened their doors to see that an envelope had been placed on each door step. The sound was subtle at first, but steadily growing. With each passing minute, the commotion had begun to echo throughout the streets. Panic and arguments started between neighbors over the documents that had been printed and distributed to every residential location in Konoha. Outrage suddenly took over the hearts of the people of The Leaf upon hearing that several members of their own Council were responsible for the recruitment and torture of children to form them into soulless shinobi including Itachi Uchiha. Each had received a letter signed by Tsunade herself who had clarified that the people of Konoha deserved to know the truth.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The meeting had begun. Tsunade had gathered the Council and several government officials into one room for a meeting she dared not tell them the details of beforehand. For all they knew, this was a standardized introductory meeting. They had not received the packets that had been distributed to the villagers. Most stared at their Hokage with wary and distrusting eyes including Koharu, and Homura. Ibiki, his assistant, as well as a few highly ranked Anbu officers attended as well. Danzou had evidently had other obligations to fulfill early that morning.

Ibiki and his burly assistant stared her down, but her powerful presence did not waver. She could kill him at the drop of a finger if she chose. 

“Wait!” She commanded as they were about to stand.

“I want the status of that _facility_.” 

“Tsunade, the status is governed by---” Homura started.

“I am your Hokage!” She stood up. “…and I demand to know the status of that facility.”

She stared him down.

“It’s running perfectly fine, Ms. Hokage.” Growled Ibiki.

“I wish to see it.” She said seriously, trying not to snap him in half then and there.

“Not possible. It’s in a classified location.”

He stood up and walked toward the door, dismissing her completely. With intense speed, she met him there and slammed the door shut as soon as he opened it.

“Classified by who? The 4th? Show me the proof, Ibiki or take me to the facility. As your Hokage, I demand it!”

Ibiki stared at her.

_Damn woman._

“If you absolutely must, but I warn you it is not for the faint of heart.” She glared daggers at him. “…and Ms. Hokage, tread carefully. The opinion of the people may slip through your fingers if you speak so… openly of such places.”

She wanted so badly to punch his face so hard that it implanted into the back of his skull but restrained herself.

“I must.” She said seriously. “This meeting is finished. We will meet again in one-week at the same time.” 

Ibiki looked back at her with his beady dead eyes and she finally allowed him to exit. She followed him to the outskirts of the village where the facility was buried 70 meters beneath the surface. She watched as he performed a specialized jutsu to release the entrance open and allow them to enter.

“You won’t be able to use your chakra or jutsu in here. It’s based on physical strength alone.” He said seriously.

She hesitated a moment, thinking it may affect her appearance, but because it was a pre-existing jutsu she had casted on herself, it stayed as is as they descended the long eerie stair well. He led her down a hall and saw people in cages.

“These are the unwell people of Konoha.” Ibiki explained. “This place was established to change their minds to become capable enough to follow the Will of the Gods. With their blessing, we are successful with treatment and they are permitted to enter back into society.”

She stared at the bruised, emaciated faces in each cell and her heart ached for each one of them.

“What do you mean by unwell?” She asked, now furious.

“…Those who choose to betray the Gods with their acts of sodomy.”

Her eyes squinted as if she was trying to murder him with her mind alone.

_How could Konoha have established a place like this? How could my grandfather support this? This must not have been what he intended._

He showed her around the facility which held 56 people and had a capacity of 125. The officers marched along cells in rounds to ensure no one got out or in. Her heart broke as she witnessed the filth that the people were forced to live in. Ibiki did not show her the torture room. She stared at the large iron door as they passed it. She was too afraid to ask him what was inside for fear of being trapped within it's doors. He concluded his tour by the opening they had descended from.

“You’re fired. All the staff at this facility are fired.” She said, feeling satisfied with his _tour_.

He did not turn but looked to the ground.

“For what reason?” He snarled.

“For the gross mistreatment and judgement of human beings.” She said seriously.

"You really think that some softy like you is going to take over Konoha? Everything we stand for? There is an order to this world. I won't let you break it! What do you even know about gross mistreatment!?" 

In a moment, he turned and pinned her against the wall with his enormous arm up against her neck and a kunai to her face. She let out a soft laugh.

"A thing or two."

His gross sexism had caused him to underestimate her. It would be the last time he ever would underestimate a woman as her powerful punch to his stomach reorganized his insides. Although she could not use chakra, she was still incredibly strong. He slid across the facility floor in shock at her incredible power. She walked toward him with fury burning in her eyes.

“Time to die, pig.” She said as she kicked him hard in the skull causing it to crack along his frontal lobe.

His body shook on the floor as he seized.

“Or maybe, I can keep you alive. Just alive enough so you can watch me tear this horrible place down.”

She walked over to him and picked him up by his shirt. His eyes had rolled back into his head and his body was still twitching. She dragged him to the closest door and kicked it open.

“SEE!?” She screamed with her booming voice as she dragged his now motionless body through the corridor, kicking each door open with her incredible strength as she did so.

The guards watched in horror before deciding to run. They were not paid enough to want to die by the hands of a powerful madwoman. 

“LOOK YOU FUCK!”

She reached the end of the facility and held his huge body up by his jaws with a powerful grip. The survivors began to slowly and warily exit their cells. 

“EVERYONE LISTEN UP!" 

Their cautious heads turned and stared at her with awe. Some, still with intense fear. 

"I HEREBY DECLARE THAT ANY HATEFUL ACT, MOTIVATED BY YOUR ATTRACTION TO ANOTHER PERSON, IS ILLEGAL! I, THE 5TH HOKAGE, HEREBY DISMISS YOUR SENTENCE. YOU ARE FREE OF CRIME. GO AND LIVE YOUR LIFE! LOVE WHO YOU WANT AND SEND. THIS. FUCKER. TO HELL!!”

She threw his body before the crowd and they roared wildly as they rushed to beat Ibiki until the afterlife. Tsunade breathed heavy as she watched the animistic scene before her take place.

 _We’ve still got a long way to go._

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

She and Shizune left the facility behind them and began to frantically rush back to the Hokage’s office. They were both exhausted but there was still much to be done. The people would be talking by now and the Council surely had choice words for her. They turned a corner only to be stopped by Danzou who stared at them both with menacing eyes.

“What have you done?” He growled. '

That was when she heard it. The feint sounds of an angry mob echoing throughout Konoha.

“They riot on the streets because of you… Where did you get that information?”

He spoke with a low tone at her as he began to remove the bandages off of his arm to reveal a disgusting collection of wandering Sharingan eyes which bulged from the wrinkles in his skin.

He had awoken that morning to villagers breaking his windows and ripping apart his home from the outside in. The people had discovered the truth about what he and the other village elders had done to the Uchiha clan and the outrage induced chaos. The packet left on each resident’s door contained official copies of the orders given to Itachi Uchiha to slaughter his own clan and then disappear as a rogue ninja. The packet also included the case file of Sasuke Uchiha as the last remaining survivor of the clan with details of Itachi’s _betrayal_ of his orders as how it was worded in the report. Danzou had argued that Sasuke would need to die along with the rest of his clan, however, the Hokage fought tooth and nail to protect him from and ensured that he would have the most normal life possible in Konoha. It was what Itachi had wanted for him. The reports had never been written as far as the village Elders had been aware. It was Sarutobi who left them for Tsunade to find, knowing that she would remember how to disable the trap that he had shown her how to create on so many occasions. Koharu and Homura were driven from their homes that morning as well. With no ability to defend themselves against the mobs, they escaped the village, fleeing for their pathetic lives.

Danzou gritted his teeth together as the sounds of the people neared them. Tsunade stared at him with serious eyes. She knew that she had done what the village had needed their leader to do before they had ever decided without them to slaughter dozens of their own over petty disagreements. She knew the risk it would put on her to expose Konoha so blatantly. The deplorable secrecy that had caused thousands to suffer pointlessly from outdated practices and medieval views motivated her to passionately do right by _her_ people.

The people had every right to be furious with their previous leadership. She would do her best to make it right.

Danzou quickly performed his wind attack, sending invisible bullets in her direction. Although she could not see, she could still move away from the direction of his mouth. Several deep cuts still penetrated her skin. He rushed at her and attempted to seal her to paralyze her from moving while she was down, but she was not finished and landed a hard punch to Danzou’s stomach. His form spat blood as it flew from her punch before disappearing as one of his illusions. Before she could realize it, she was frozen, unable to move a muscle. Her body was covered in the paralyzing seal that he had planted on her from behind during his initial attack. She looked on in terror as he approached her.

“I will kill you for the crimes that you have committed against your village. To think that you were appointed the Hokage before I!? The Village needs a much stronger shinobi to lead them, don’t you think? Pathetic girl.”

He began to weave another sign in his hands to finish her before a sharp stabbing pain cut through his left arm. He jumped back to see a young blonde ninja who had successfully aimed and hit Danzou in the arm with a kunai. Naruto stood proudly behind in front of a mob of thousands of people wielding their weapons. Kakashi, Guy, and his class mates all stood beside him. Each had hatred in their eyes from the betrayal of their leadership. The village had chosen the side of the Uchiha Clan.

“Your time in Konoha ends now! The people want you out for what you did to Sasuke!! It’s time to pay!” Naruto screamed at him.

Bringing Sasuke home would just be that much more important to him now. 

“UCHIHAS NOT THE ENEMY, WAR IS NOT THE ANSWER!” The crowd chanted loudly in unison behind him.

Danzou stared with terror at the furiously disappointed faces before him. His adrenaline pushed him. Either he could face the entire village at once, potentially slaughtering hundreds or he could flee and re-establish his power on the outskirts of Konoha until he had the resources he needed to come back with a horrifying vengeance. He chose the latter.

“…This isn’t over, Tsunade. I will kill you.” Danzou growled as he began to disappear in an illusion.

The people rushed to where his presence had been in a fiery rage. Some wanted him dead and he may have ended up in a grave had he decided to stay that day.

“WAIT!! ARGH!” Naruto yelled. 

He used his shadow clones to immediately begin looking throughout the village for Danzou. 

“Wait, Naruto…! I can’t smell him. It was like he moved into thin air.” Kakashi said. 

His brows were furrowed. He could not understand how Danzou had escaped so easily and quickly. He wracked his brain for answers when he noticed the crowd behind him getting loud again. He turned to see Tsunade who had been paralyzed by Danzou but had managed to finally break it using a burst of long harbored chakra. She forced herself to higher ground to address the crowd. Shizune helped her carefully as she stood tall above the loudly chattering villagers. In an intensely booming voice, she commanded the crowd before her.

“EVERYONE! LISTEN TO ME!”

Tsunade’s chakra amplified voice broke the steady roar. Everyone turned to look at her. Her broken and bleeding body was still standing strong and demanded respect. She paused for a few moments and took in the scene of all who stared up at her. She had shown them the truth and they wanted to hear what she had to say.

“The magnitude of the truth that we have learned today is unspeakable. Those who should have been here to advocate for themselves have either been lost or they were locked away.”

She paused and looked down for a moment before continuing.

“The Uchiha Clan… was horrifically murdered because of that man’s agenda.”

She pointed where Danzou had been standing.

“The shame in this village has its roots in the things that some of us may call a tradition of clan preservation. A term meant to single out those who are shamed for not reproducing. This is an evil practice that harms those of us willing to contribute in a different way. He has been enforcing a code of hatred within our people. He has spoken lies to you about the facilities meant to preserve each clan. These facilities have been hurting people and killing them too… we end the hatred today! All of those responsible for the horrors that you learned of this morning have now fled Konoha as rogue ninja and no longer have power over what we choose to do as a village. We have a responsibility to ensure that _each_ person who calls Konoha their home feels safe and accepted regardless of which clan they are from or who they love!”

The crowd murmured in agreement as she continued her speech.

“We can be better as a people, so I ask you to help me help you to improve the way things are done here. Those traitors are no longer welcome in Konoha and effective immediately they are banished. We are safe now thanks to you. Now go! Let’s put our village back together the way it should have been!”

Tsunade smiled as the crowd began to cheer for her. It was time for reform.

She came back down to tend to her wounds. The people began to disburse. Konoha bloomed into a progressive society with the Elder’s disappearances as the catalyst for change. Education on the facilities and all of Konoha’s history began to become available in written form. No data showed that any efforts made by the facilities had a positive effect on any of its patients. In most cases, psychosis set in after various time periods. The act of being rehabilitated by conversion to hetero-normative behaviors was deemed as a torture tactic and was strictly forbidden in Konoha from that point forward. Change had finally begun.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Word spread quickly of what Tsunade had done throughout the lands of Konoha and even surrounding cities. She still had groups that dissented with her radical approach to government, but the people demanded her abrasiveness. A new wing of the hospital was planned and was being built for those in need of care for mental sicknesses. Tsunade personally assisted each person who escaped the facility re-establish themselves in Konoha. After several 12-hour days and lots of very aggressive convincing, she was completely successful with finding each a home and an income. People reunited with their families, friends, and lovers, but there was still plenty work to do. The public was still wary of words like _lesbian_ or _gay_. The terms carried a negative connotation with them. Many of the facility survivors still shook in fear over the mere idea of being seen by the public as someone who did not fit in the box.

“SHIZUNE!” Tsunade yelled, making her jump out of her skin for a moment.

“Why do you always scare me with that loud voice of yours?” Shizune asked, genuinely wondering if Tsunade was purposely trying to scare her.

She smiled at her partner.

“We have something important I think we might have to do.”

Tsunade walked up and offered Shizune her hand and motioned her head at the door. Shizune turned her head and looked at her with a side eye.

“You want me to hold your hand… out there?” Shizune said with a tone of _you-must-be-fucking-crazy._

“Yes. Who else is going to tell the people of Konoha that it’s acceptable?”

Shizune looked at her nervously before walking up to her and putting her arms at Tsunade’s waste.

“I don’t know… I just know that they are super weird about stuff here.” Shizune said.

“Think about that boy who was trapped in there. What would he think if they saw us walking down the street holding hands? Or a little girl who’s confused because people are telling her she can’t like girls and then she sees us? We would be proving the bad guys wrong just by taking a fucking walk together _._ ”

“Okay… okay… fine, you got me, but I promise I will protect you if anyone tries anything.” Shizune giggled.

“Ha! You? Protect _me?_ ” Tsunade said playfully, smiling wide.

She leaned in and kissed Shizune.

“Let’s do this.”

“Okay. Fuck it, yeah let’s do it!” Shizune said.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The most powerful figure of The Leaf walked down the street of Konoha hand in hand with her partner proudly. Many stared, but they both held their heads high as they walked through the village. Naruto and Sakura were headed the opposite direction when they saw the two coming toward them. Naruto’s face lit up immediately and he began to wave excitedly at them.

“HEY OLD LADY TSUNADE!! SHIZUNE!!” He yelled from up the road.

He ran to meet them.

“Naruto! Wait!” Sakura called after him.

“Here he comes.” Tsunade groaned.

“Yup.” Shizune laughed nervously as he loudly came toward them.

“HEY! I heard what you did with making it a law to not hurt people anymore! That was super badass!”

He was a swirling ball of energy ever since he had heard the news. He looked down and noticed that the two were holding hands and stopped what he was doing to stare.

“Naruto, stop staring!” Sakura scolded him.

He looked at her, embarrassed. She was smart enough to recognize immediately what Tsunade was doing and wanted in.

“May we walk with you?” She asked politely.

“Sure. You kids ready to make a statement?”

“HELL YEAH!” Naruto exclaimed. 

He was as elated and hyperactive as ever. The four walked together through the city and turned a corner. Another couple approached them and asked if they could join followed by three more couples including one straight couple. The village looked on at their sign of solidarity and some booed at the spectacle and shouted slurs in Tsunade’s direction which was promptly met with her piercing gaze. It was enough to make most nearly shit themselves. By the time they reached the Hokage’s mansion, they felt empowered. Thank you’s and praises were given to Tsunade for her bravery. The couples who had joined left for home, holding hands the whole way on their own despite the stares and comments that some still made. She had done it. This would be the start of an annual tradition of visibility for Konoha.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The four stood at the entrance to the hellish facility. Naruto’s heart began to beat fast thinking about how Sasuke had been forced down the dark cavern.

Tsunade went first followed by Shizune.

“Come.” Tsunade said. “Stay close.”

Naruto and Sakura looked at each other before nodding and following them inside. What they found inside the cells was truly horrifying. Scratches and long imbedded finger nails were stuck in the doors. Insane writing went up and down the walls from those who had given into the horrific abyss of isolation. Naruto's heart was continuously sinking. 

_You were kept… in here?_

He passed another cell and happened to get a glimpse of the Uchiha crest carved into the wall. He froze for a few moments staring before slowly pushing the old iron door and stepping inside. He sat in the middle of the room imagining what it must have been like for Sasuke. He looked at the walls and saw the tally-marks. Angry tears burned as they formed in his eyes. He went over to the small cot they had given him and touched it.

_You probably laid here wide awake._

Naruto suddenly felt immense guilt as if he had control of knowing that this had happened after he left. He suddenly heard Sakura scream in terror. 

“What the hell is this!?”

He got up and rushed out of the room to go find her. 

“Sakura! Where are you?” He yelled after her.

He turned a corner to see her trembling in front of what looked to be a metal cross with thick, bloodied clamps all around the edges. The walls of the room had dried blood from the last session that was held in the room. It smelled of wretched decay. Various weapons were laid neatly in the corner of the room meant to shock, maim, and scar its recipient. The room also had a stack of dirty magazines that Naruto averted his eyes from immediately upon noticing. Sakura stood trembling with tears flowing down her face as she realized the extent of the torture Sasuke had gone through. Naruto put his arm around her shoulder while fighting back his own emotions and led her out of the room.

“Come on… let’s destroy this evil place already.”

They planted paper bombs in every corner of the facility and then one every meter as they went back up the tunnel to the surface. With a swift hand movement, a loud explosion echoed through Konoha as the facility was justifiably demolished. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music - Animals by Muse


	31. A Boy Like Me

Over a year had passed since Sasuke’s departure. Naruto and Sakura had desperately searched for him. They endured sleepless nights, panic, and immense sorrow as their reality without Sasuke settled into a strange and dark kind of normal. Kakashi had experienced his own grieving process. To lose a teammate was one thing, but to lose a _child_ that he had been responsible for and grown to care deeply for was a pain that he had never thought possible. The three of them put in great efforts, searching throughout the lands for him, but it was clear that Sasuke did not want to be found. Or rather, Orochimaru did not want them to find him. 

Naruto had a gift for looking toward the light even in the darkest of times. Despite his intense and elongated heart break, he put on a smile for his team. He pushed them forward without even realizing his true power. His will was forever unbreakable. He had seen the ugliest of life and would create the positivity he wanted to see in it. He was like water on freshly burned wood, delivering life wherever he touched. Sakura and Kakashi grew to love him deeply for it. He was an enigma who they believed would change the world as their future leader. 

The village of Konoha had rapidly developed with the exposure of the horrors that occurred inside the facility. Some still backed its methods – mostly those of the oldest generation who claimed to believe in traditional values. On the contrary, the overwhelming majority supported Tsunade. Her primary interest was truly the betterment of the people and it showed with her humble, community oriented actions. She would spend time in the streets with the poor and give what she could give and help who she could help. The stories spread quickly and her reputation skyrocketed. Even those who disagreed with her, respected her for her kindness. 

The following year on the day that she had first walked the village streets hand in hand with Shizune, they would celebrate their newly found freedoms with joyous festivities, lights, and costumes as a memoir to the trials of those who suffered for their freedom. Naruto would have joined them had he not left for his long-term training with Jiraiya. Sakura, of course, assisted and celebrated alongside Tsunade and Shizune as their new apprentice.

In Suna, however, there was no such festival. Sand villagers tended to keep to themselves regarding all personal activities. This meant that there was little judgement for what happened behind closed doors. However, it was still unusual to find a citizen of Suna who openly expressed love outside of to small children. To do so in general was viewed as a weakness. Gaara had no grasp of this concept for fairly obvious reasons. His father and uncle had taught him how to be polite and how to hold himself in the presence of lords and powerful shinobi, not much else. He had buried his nose in books for as long as he could remember for answers. Books, however, did not teach one how to love someone properly. Not truly. Despite his efforts to be kind to those around him, his loneliness persisted. 

He would have good days where he was much _less_ lonely than he had been in the past. It would generally involve finding communion and solidarity with his family and cat.

He laid in bed motionless as Minako chomped and batted at his sleeve. She had learned not to try to bite Gaara’s skin for fear of getting sand in her needle sharp mouth. He sighed thinking about the events from earlier that day. All he needed was cat food. 

_“What is a monster like that doing in here? I have a child with me. You shouldn’t let him in!”_

The woman had complained to the clerk which had been hurtful, but the clerk’s response was almost worse.

_“_ _What do you expect me to do lady? He might kill me if I try anything.”_

The clerk had tried to lower his voice, but Gaara heard. He always heard the whispers. At that point he had set the food down and left promptly. Minako would eat off his plate that night. 

“Lucky for you.” He said to her as if she could understand.

He was supposed to be training that day, but he had no motivation for it. He longed for someone to understand. He had gotten a taste of what that may be like to have the ugliest thing about him in common with someone else. The idea that he was not alone would occasionally even bring tears to his eyes. He thought he was the only Jinchūriki up until he met _him._

_I miss you… Naruto Uzumaki._

A swift knock on the door broke him from his daydreams about the boy. He lazily used his sand to open the door.

“What is it?” He said in a monotone voice.

“Lord Gaara, a Ms. Kagome wishes to see you.”

Gaara’s eyes narrowed. In the time that he had been protecting the village for the past year, some had come to admire him… a little too much. At first, he was flattered by the attention by Kagome, but it had turned into something obsessive. Frankly, he was a bit disturbed by her. Gaara did not realize it, but he was already the subject of many young girls in Suna. He was the broody, mysterious, and dangerous prince they had supposedly always wanted. This was to the horror of each of their parents. 

“I don’t want to.” He said plainly.

The door swung open behind the man. Kagome was a hormone crazed 3rd year, two years younger than Gaara, but she already _knew_ in her heart that she would marry him some day. He had caught her following him throughout the village on multiple occasions. She also would frequently be waiting outside of his home to accompany him. He had not minded at first, but it had gotten out of control. It was _too much_ affection and not the right kind. He was not interested in her in the way that she was in him. Had she just wanted to be friends, he would have likely been fine with it. 

“GAARA! I have a confession!” She squealed as she bounded through the door, scaring Minako who had run under his bed.

He sat up immediately, troubled by the sudden intrusion into his private quarters.

“Kagome! You can’t be in here!” The aide yelled frantically. 

She jumped toward Gaara with arms outstretched. His sand blocked her, not because his demon thought she was a threat, but because he had done it himself with his own chakra. She slammed face first into the wall and landed hard on the floor. 

“That hurt…” 

She carefully got up and rubbed her scratched nose. Despite her injury, she regained her spirit almost immediately. She stared at Gaara seriously before getting up and taking a few more steps toward him. He recoiled back with wide eyes. She was in his bubble and she looked scary.

“You really shouldn’t treat a lady like that!”

“Lord Gaara I apologize!” The aide said.

He tried to restrain the girl to take her out, but she wiggled herself free and began to yell at him for the same thing she had just scolded Gaara for. He felt a headache coming on and rubbed his temple. 

_You would have both been dead by now in another time._

He would handle this himself. He picked her up with his sand and began to exit his room into the hall with her in tow. 

“G-Gaara! What are you doing! Let go of me! I’m going to scream!”

She let out an ear-piercing scream which made him want to crush her beneath his sand, but he resisted the urge. The aide watched in horror, thinking Gaara might snap at any moment. Temari had heard the scream from her room in the right wing of their mansion. It had been a long time since she had heard something like that inside of her home. She rushed out to see her brother carrying the girl toward the door.

“Gaara!” Temari yelled and went after them in a panic, thinking that he had finally lost it again.

To her surprise, he opened the front door, dropped Kagome on her butt and slammed it behind her. She banged on the door once outside. Temari could hear muffled cries about their apparent future together. Gaara walked away slowly with his hand to his head.

“Annoying pest.” Gaara growled lowly. 

“W-What was that about?” Temari asked both curiously and fearfully.

“She scared Minako.” He said before making the two minute walk back to his room.

Kankuro had watched the entire scene from his room only about 20 feet up the hall from Temari’s and held back laughter until Gaara was out of sight. Temari looked at him, confused.

“He sure has a way with girls, doesn’t he?” He snickered.

Temari smirked and rolled her eyes.

“He doesn’t know a thing about girls, so you better teach him, Kankuro… you know, since you know so much.” She teased.

His laughter immediately ceased.

“Hell naw! I can’t do the impossible… and what are you saying!?” He said, suddenly offended by her sarcastic comment.

She laughed.

“Relax. If he has questions, I’m sure he will ask in his own… special... way, and not to mention, I’m not totally sure that’s even going to be an issue for him.”

She shrugged, thinking about how Gaara had spoken about Naruto. 

Kankuro smirked.

"Yeah, right. _Gaara_ swings that way, Temari. Sure. I don't even think he... you know what, I don't want to think about it." 

Kankuro raised his eyebrows and shook his head before retreating back into his quarters. She laughed as she watched his discomfort. 

_Bet I'm right, though._

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Jiraya questioned his entire reasoning process for bringing a hyperactive child with him on a several year long quest. He loved Naruto, he did, but gods help him, he was _so much energy._ He supposed that at one point he may have been able to match the radiating mood Naruto seemed to always keep, but now he was old and damn tired. 

“PLEASE!!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!?” Naruto begged.

He and Jiraiya had been traveling together for some time now and they _always_ did what Jiraiya wanted to do. Naruto was fed up with it. Their ‘research’ was getting incredibly boring and now they were training near the Land of Rivers which was only one-day’s journey to Suna. He _needed_ to go visit Gaara. It had been forever and the last time they saw each other. The last time they had met, he had been a burbling mess over Sasuke which was worse. He wanted a new experience where they could finally talk and get to know each other _without Sasuke_ in the picture. It wasn't that he had lost hope, he was just tired of thinking about him. A friend was a perfect way to distract himself just temporarily. 

“No way! You want to just waltz right up to the Village of the Sand, demand they let you in, and then you think the Kazekage’s _son_ is going to be your buddy? Crazy talk.”

Naruto grumbled under his breath for a moment.

“He WILL! I know he will!”

He grabbed Jiraiya’s sleeve and began tugging it back and forth.

“Come ON Pervy Saaaaage!” He whined.

Jiraiya had put up with his absolute nonesense ever since they neared the Land of Rivers three days ago. Naruto could be incredibly obnoxious when he really wanted something.

“If we show up, and they decide that we may be spies from another village, then what? What would you do?”

“THAT WON’T HAPPEN! I just gotta see Gaara and they will let us in!” He argued.

Jiraiya was not convinced.

“Mmmm… I would rather not deal with it.”

“SCREW YOU! PERVERT SENIN!”

His pout was incredibly dramatic and his arms were tightly crossed against his chest. He tried to ignore the sage for a while and it didn’t work. He just continued to fume over not ever getting to do what he wanted. All that pervert wanted was pretty girls and it was so lame.

 _Duh._ _Why didn’t I think of that before?_

He uncrossed his arms and an evil grin appeared on his face.

“I hear the women of Suna are wild. Way more so than any Konoha woman.” He lied.

Jiraiya squinted and he could feel his eye twitching.

“Stupid boy. I’m not that easy to convince.”

“Just imagine… an entire harem of them. It’s been a while since we went to a big city with so many… _options_.”

Naruto transformed using his evolved sexy jutsu which featured three naked girls wearing Suna headbands. Jiraiya stared for a moment before blushing wildly and covering his face.

“FINE!”

_Damn kid._

“…but we won’t stay long. Three days!” Jiraiya said firmly. “And that’s IF they let us in. If they don’t, you owe me big time.”

“He WILL let me in! Just you wait!”

_He will let YOU in, huh? I swear if I walk across that desert for nothing..._

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

One day and several complaints from Jiraya later, they spotted the Suna on the horizon while they trudged through the blistering desert. They were both intensely weary and sweating, but when Naruto was within about 1,000 feet of the walls, he couldn't help but run to the gates. Jiraya was amazed at his resilience. He was currently trying not to pass out. 

“GAARA!! I’M HERE GAARA!” He screamed as he ran quickly through the sand.

“He won’t hear you from there.” Jiraiya huffed.

His hair amplified the heat.

_Why did I agree to do this again? How does he have so much god damn energy?_

The guard ninja squinted as an orange dot came dashing toward them. They could see the dot jumping up and down through the sandy dunes as he neared them. Naruto reached the entrance, bent over, and caught his breath. One of them noticed his headband and was immediately suspicious. He had not been given any notice that a Hidden Leaf ninja would be approaching the city that day.

“Why have you come to Suna? State your business.” The man said seriously.

Naruto looked up at him with a smile.

“To see Gaara!”

The man looked at Naruto, confused.

_Lord Gaara?_

“I have no record of any expected visitors from the Leaf. What are your intentions?”

Naruto looked at the man, confused.

_I just told you, dumbass._

Jiraiya finally caught up, out of breath. The man turned to him.

“And you! Where are you from? What is your business with Suna?” The man demanded.

“I told you Naruto… they won’t…” Jiraiya started.

“JUST ASK HIM!” Naruto suddenly screamed. “He will be happy to see me, just let him know I’m here and he will give the okay!”

The man looked at him confused. Gaara had never gotten a visitor before.

“I’ll send a messenger, but you better not be bothering him pointlessly. Wait here.”

The man said with a sinister look on his face before calling over another ninja to be a messenger. Naruto stared seriously at the man. He would see his friend today no matter what it took. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Gaara laid on his bed with his head hanging off it upside down as he watched Minako play. He didn’t plan to go anywhere for the rest of the day and was comfortable. Usually when boredom hit, he would go out looking for trouble, but now he had to find different ways to entertain himself. Lately, he had been fantasizing about embarrassing things. Naruto was the subject of most of his less cordial thoughts. He wanted to do things to him that he had never wanted to do to anyone else. It made him feel like his soul was alive. He sighed heavily before a knock on the door caught his attention. 

_Now what?_

“Come in.” He said as he readjusted to an upright position.

“Sir, uh, there’s a young blonde boy at the village gates… he’s a Hidden Leaf ninja and claims that he---”

Gaara stared at the man wide eyed only for a moment as he listened. Once the words processed, he got up and pushed by the ninja at his door. His heart began to race as his bare feet collided with the wooden floors in a sprint. This was the moment he had been waiting for. A real chance at experiencing empathy from another. 

_You’re here. You’re finally here._

“S-sir??” The messenger ninja called after him, confused.

No ward of the Kazekage had ever personally greeted someone at the front gate unless it had been for war. Temari watched her little brother run past her.

“G-Gaara!? Are you okay?” She quickly handed off the paperwork in her hands to another nearby aide and chased after him, thinking that something bad may have happened.

He swung open the Kazekage mansion doors and ran full speed through his village toward the gate. Some noticed him and jumped out of the way thinking that their village weapon had been sprinting directly at them. Others did not notice him at all without his equipment due to his short stature. He had to push through some of the crowd. They did not recognize him without his gourd. In that moment, he was just a boy, longing to see someone he cared for. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Naruto stood impatiently at the entrance of the gate. Jiraiya was glaring at him and he could feel it but was trying to ignore it.

“He’s not going to come.” Jiraiya said skeptically.

“YES, HE WILL!” Naruto protested loudly.

He glared at the old pervert for a few moments. He heard some commotion by the gate and noticed that someone was raising the gates. He slowly turned his head to see Gaara speeding toward him with Temari not far behind.

“GAARAAAA!!!!” Naruto screamed. 

He pushed by the ninja who had been trying to keep them at bay.

“H-HEY!”

The man tried to go after him before Jiraiya put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head no.

“Ain’t that the Kazekage’s son?” Jiraiya said, now sure that Naruto wasn’t lying.

He was impressed that Naruto had been right all along. The sand ninja stared a little harder and his eyes widened as he finally recognized Gaara. 

Temari stopped in her tracks as she saw Naruto come running inside the gate toward her brother. She smiled, glad that he had come for her little brother.

 _Guess you were right, Gaara._

Gaara had never felt this excited over anything… well at least not in a good way. This feeling was much more exhilarating. The space between them closed and Gaara _leapt_ into Naruto’s arms. The momentum of their bodies caused them both to spin around as Gaara struggled to keep his feet on the ground. Naruto had gotten a few inches taller than him. They stayed in a close embrace for several moments.

“I wouldn’t expect such a greeting from you.” Naruto laughed. 

“I’ve… missed you.”

Gaara hugged him tightly. Naruto suddenly felt incredibly flustered. 

_He's being so affectionate..._

“Y-yeah!! I’ve m-missed you too.” He said, trying to hide his blushing face.

They locked eyes for a moment and time seemed to slow down. The murmurs of the crowd behind them shook Naruto from his fixated gaze. 

“AAH! THEY’RE ALL S-S-STARING!!”

He pointed back at Temari and several villagers who had gathered and were now staring at the them with eyebrows raised. It only made his blush worse. Gaara looked down sheepishly.

“They always do.” Gaara said sadly, realizing that it had made Naruto uncomfortable.

The Sand Village had not quite had come around to being friendly toward their Jinchūriki yet. Naruto saw it in his face and in the faces of those behind him. It was way too familiar. Gaara's reaction to seeing him suddenly made a little more sense. He would have to do something about it. 

“Come on! Who cares!? Let them look!” He said with a broad smile as he put his arm around Gaara’s neck.

The two began to walk back toward the village together. Gaara was surprised at Naruto’s solidarity and couldn’t help but smile a little. Gaara put his arm around Naruto’s waist causing the blonde to feel giddy inside. It was an unexpected reaction. His mind darted to Sasuke for a moment before dismissing the thought. 

_He's been gone a year... and it's not like we were even dating..._

“HEY! Wait up!” Jiraiya called from the gate. “A LITTLE HELP?”

He had been blocked off by several Suna shinobi who were watching him carefully. He could have forced his way in, but he did not wish to start a war with Suna. Gaara put up his hand and motioned for them to let him in. Jiraiya was still in disbelief. He scoffed to himself about the whole thing.

_Ridiculous. Wait ‘til I tell Tsunade._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music - So Obvious by Runner Runner


	32. Three Days, Two Nights

Low murmurs and whispers could still be heard from the surrounding villagers as the two Jinchūriki headed toward the Kazekage mansion. Many had not considered that the village monster would ever have company, let alone company from a village that the sand had shaky ties with. They stared at the two with morbid fascination. Their Jinchūriki had never been seen with a true _friend._ The unusualness of it was due to their own biases against him. They were ignorant to the possibility that their greatest weapon was starved of a few of the necessary components to create a respected warrior - empathy and compassion. 

The two entered the massive building, leaving the onlookers in the sandy streets to gossip amongst themselves. Naruto gaped at the complexity and beauty of the structure. 

“This is where you _live?_ ” He asked in amazement.

“Yes. This is my home.”

It was nothing special for Gaara. He had known it his whole life. For Naruto, it was an amazing spectacle that went far above and beyond what he could have dreamed of. His basis for his imagination was, after all, his small and simple studio apartment back in Konoha. 

“It’s amazing!” 

An aide walked by, trying not avoid staring at the two. Naruto watched her in awe as she carried towels and sheets to the spare rooms to accommodate their guests without instruction. 

“…and you have SERVANTS!?”

“They’re called aides, but yes.”

“SO-SO-SO You get like… _room service?_ All the time!?”

Gaara smirked at him and nodded. It was amusing to see someone so struck by what he knew to be normal. 

“COOOOOL!!”

The blonde continued to ask questions as they walked until they had reached the East Wing where Gaara’s quarters were located. They entered into his large bedroom. It was about three times the size of Naruto's apartment at home which induced more sounds of awe. He excitedly looked around at the impressive book collection, the various figures molded from sand, and the historical artifacts that sat encased in dust free glass. Gaara watched him cautiously. He had never had a friend in his room before. 

“You can leave your things here… and I can show you around… if you want...” Gaara said shyly.

He was new to socialization, but he felt like it was going well thus far. The blonde seemed happy enough to be in his company. Naruto stopped what he was doing and turned to look at the red head with a big smile on his face.

“Hell yeah! Whatever you want to show me I'm ready for!”

Gaara was slightly taken aback by his enthusiasm, but managed a soft and barely noticeable smile in return. They headed out back into the village streets, bypassing the now scattered crowd. Gaara showed him the entire village including his training grounds, shops, and residential areas. For the first time in a long time, he felt safe with Naruto by his side. He was not the only Jinchūriki in Suna. Despite his newfound comfort, it did not stop the villagers from their malicious whispers. 

“Look, the monster has a little friend.” A large, older man commented from the outdoor table near his home. 

Three other burly men sat with him, all smoking expensive imported cigars. The men chuckled amongst each other. Gaara heard the comment, as usual. Even though it had hurt, he planned to ignore it, as usual. His head dropped. Naruto stopped walking the second the laughter begun. The smile that had been plastered on his face throughout the day had turned to a frown. He turned toward the men and pointed an accusatory finger at them.

“Don’t you dare say that about him!” He growled.

“Awww, the monster’s boyfriend is mad!” The man mocked.

The rest of men roared with laughter. Naruto shook as his anger began to boil hot within his core.

“Naruto… it’s fine..” Gaara started.

It was one thing to be called a monster, but when Naruto heard them saying it to Gaara, it flipped a switch in him that he did not know he still had.

“No! It’s not fine!” 

He stared at Gaara for a moment before putting up a hand to him as if to tell him to wait there. He walked up to the men with permeating confidence. Gaara stared at him, wide eyed.

“OOooo! What’s he gonna do!?” One of the men continued to tease Naruto drunkenly.

He could smell the stench of sake breath from where he was a few feet away.

“THIS!”

He summoned four shadow clones, grabbed the cups on the table and threw the sake in their faces. The men simultaneously cried out in pain as the alcohol seeped into their eyes. In their blindness, he kicked them in the face to disorient them further and jumped behind each of them. With his impressive strength, he lifted each giant size man up by his trousers and one by one hung them to the protruding house plant hooks from the home behind them. Potted plants flew from where they hung and crashed all along the patio with loud shattering sounds.

“FUCK! OW!! GET ME DOWN YOU LITTLE SHITS!!” The men screamed various slurs in their direction.

Naruto began cackling at their discomfort, ran to Gaara, grabbed his hand, and pulled.

“COME ON WE GOTTA RUN!”

Naruto was a pro prankster and would need to teach Gaara his ways. Gaara felt Naruto's tight grip against his palm. He squeezed back as he followed in the blonde's footsteps. Two of the men’s wives ran to the commotion and immediately began wailing about how their husbands had been violently assaulted as they dangled from the awning. One of the men fell from ripped trousers and screamed dramatically on the compacted sand ground. The women promptly began throwing whatever they could in the direction the boys were running. Naruto looked back and laughed as he pulled a stunned Gaara behind him. Gaara watched, at first in horror, and then pure amusement. 

_What is this feeling?_

The two rounded a corner and hid in an ally, breathing heavily from their escape. They made eye contact and Naruto immediately began laughing over the mayhem he had just caused. Gaara could not help but laugh a little too over how ridiculous the event had been. 

_This must be what having fun is like..._

Gaara leaned up against the ally wall and stared at his friend who was still giggling at his own debacle. His heart was beating fast and his stomach felt funny. It wasn’t the same kind of feeling he got from running or training. It was an entirely new and encapsulating feeling. He cautiously let his eyes travel over the other boy’s body from his legs, his hands, his chest... and finally, his lips. He never understood why people kissed until that moment. He had thought about it enough, sure, but it had never seemed like an inherently natural thing to do to someone else. In this case, it was all he wanted to do. Naruto finally stopped laughing and managed to compose himself.

“That was awesome! Those guys had it coming!”

Naruto's smile was still spread wide across his face but his expression changed when he noticed Gaara was looking at him with a serious face. Gaara pushed himself off the wall and took a slow step toward the blonde. 

“Naruto… Thank you.”

“N-no problem. W-w-what are you doing?” Naruto asked nervously.

“I want to kiss you.” Gaara said plainly.

Naruto felt like he could feel his heartbeat in his face. The words were so sudden and seemingly unprompted. 

“HUH!?”

Naruto stared back at him, his face now feeling warm. Gaara slowly put his hand on Naruto’s forearm and looked up at him his big moon-like eyes. He cheeks had also flushed pink. 

_FUCK. What do I do…? I want to kiss him, but, would that be wrong? He’s so cute…_

His mind uncontrollably lingered on Sasuke for a moment which immediately triggered a series of negative emotions. 

_It's been a year..._

He bounced on his foot nervously for a few moments. His gaze shifted to the red heads lips before finally giving in to temptation. Once their lips met, it was like colorful fireworks inside his soul. He felt Gaara lean in against him. The red head's small hands gripped his jacket just below his shoulder blades.

Gaara had been dreaming of his first kiss and savored every second. It was a type of intensity that in all his horror and trauma, he had never experienced. It wasn't perfect, but somehow still wonderful and vastly enamoring. They pulled away slowly. He could not help but breath shakily through his mouth from the surging feeling rushing through him. He took a few more nervous breaths before speaking. 

“Come with me.” He said with a smile. 

The sun had begun to set over Suna. Gaara led them through to the edge of the village to a narrow walkway which allowed them to get to the upper tier surrounding the city. Two more tiers took them to the very top of the village wall which overlooked the entire city.

“It’s incredible up here. You can see everything!”

Naruto stared down at the enormous city which sparkled beautifully as if tiny fires had erupted throughout the desert. 

“This is where I come when I want to avoid their gazes.” Gaara said calmly while sitting at the edge of the enormous cliff.

Naruto quietly sat down next to him as he thought of his own trials at home. 

“I have a place like that in Konoha too.” 

The two sat in silence for several seconds and just watched the lights and the stars above them. 

“Naruto… are you seeing someone?” Gaara asked bluntly.

“HEH!? D-D-DON’T SURPRISE ME WITH QUESTIONS LIKE THAT!”

Naruto’s shrill voice echoed through the open city. He was not used to someone so direct. It was essentially whiplash from what he had known from Sasuke.

Gaara stared at him in shock and did not reply. He feared he may have said something wrong. 

“Err… well… I’ve never really… uhh… had anything uhh.. o-o-official.” Naruto scrambled.

“If you had, then what we did may have been wrong.” Gaara said.

His eyes could have very well been peering through Naruto’s soul as if they were checking to see if he was lying. Naruto moved away instinctually and almost fell off the cliff. He would have had Gaara not caught him with his sand.

_He… really is scary sometimes._

“Th-thank you. Look… Gaara… I haven’t seen him in at least year.”

Naruto’s entire demeanor changed. He looked down with pained eyes. Gaara squinted at him. 

_Mm. Just as I thought. You're still not over him. Fuck you, Uchiha._

“How long are you here?” asked Gaara.

“Three days including today. Why?”

Gaara stared at him intently. Naruto felt himself begin to feel flustered again. 

“Then for two days… and for tonight… I will be yours.”

Gaara leaned in and kissed the blonde again. Naruto indulged for a moment before he pulled away to ask the question searing in his mind.

“T-t-tonight?”

Gaara smirked at him with an especially devious expression. He was not one to dance around any kind of topic, regardless of the subject matter. Not to mention, the next opportunity may have been far down the line. 

“Unless you don’t want me.”

Naruto blushed wildly and lost his ability to speak. The idea that things would go so far in just one day was both thrilling and terrifying. His reaction was cut off when Gaara pushed his lips against his again. It was a kind of kiss that made Naruto feel like he would melt into the sand around him.

Not long after, Gaara took them back to his room and locked the door. They would not be seen again until late in the afternoon the next day. Gaara knew they wouldn’t have anything more than what it was for those three days, so he had to make it count. In the end, he got exactly what he wanted.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

A cold, dark room dripping with blood slowly closed in Sasuke. He couldn’t move his body. A dark faceless figure stood in the corner and watched him as he struggled for his life. He felt as if he would suffocate as the blood dripped down and began to encase his body. The panic began to grip him even tighter as he realized who the figure in the corner of the room was. He peered up to see Itachi standing over him with his Mangekyo Sharingan eyes. He was wearing what he had been wearing the night of the massacre.

“You failed.” Itachi said. “You’re weak and now I finally have to kill you too.”

Itachi’s face was not normal. Maggots became to crawl out of his skin on his cheeks and forehead and dropped to the floor in front of him.

“STAY AWAY!” Sasuke screamed, but Itachi did not stop his approach.

His eye sockets sunk in to reveal black lifeless holes which also began to fester with maggots.

“NOOOOO!!”

Sasuke's eyes shot open and he sat up in a cold sweat, panting heavily. It took a few moments for him to realize it had been a night terror. He began to try to calm himself for a moment before he felt something… slick and scaly contracting around his leg as it moved.

“GUAHHH!”

He threw off his sheets and ripped the snake wrapped around his leg away and killed it with his brand new Kusanagi sword. He pulled his knees to his chest and held them there. His throat hurt from screaming in his sleep and his damp clothes clung to his freezing skin. His breaths trembled as he sat inside the dark room alone. He stared at the now dead and bleeding snake on the floor. His eyes had dark circles beneath them from intense insomnia. Orochimaru had never touched him himself unless it was for training, but _god the snakes did._ There would be words to be exchanged later over yet, another snake in his room. They were meant to spy on him, but regardless of them being under Orochimaru's jutsu, they still did as they pleased and would press against his skin for warmth.

 _We talked about this, damn it._

He had gotten to know Orochimaru over the last year and understood how he thought to an extent. He realized that his new sensei cared for him specially in a demented kind of way. It gave him an incredible advantage over the others. It also infuriated Kabuto which he thoroughly enjoyed. It was a source of entertainment which Orochimaru recognized and would occasionally even partake in. He had come to realize that in this dark world, he was a worshipped dark prince of sorts. Regardless of Kabuto’s threats, Sasuke would push him because he was _Lord Orochimaru’s favorite._ Sasuke secretly wore the title with pride like a devil’s crown. Kabuto wouldn’t dare lay a finger in protest. He had status wherever he went and every one of Orochimaru’s followers worshipped the ground he walked on or risk being killed. He had become addicted to feeling powerful. His only weakness seemed to be the monsters in his sleep.

He put his forehead to his knees. For a split second, he wished Naruto was there with him. He immediately began mentally degrading himself for thinking such a soft thing.

_Don’t be a fucking faggot. You have one goal… and one purpose. Don’t fucking forget._

Like a moth to a flame, he headed adamantly toward his own destruction.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Jiraiya and Naruto left for another research location after their three-day stay in Suna. Naruto had been suspiciously silent and lost in thought since they had left about three and a half hours prior. Jiraiya appreciated the quiet, but it was getting weird now. Something was off. He looked down at the boy and studied him for a moment before he noticed it. Jiraiya got a big smile on his face.

_Is that a hickie!?_

“Ha! Ha! I see I wasn’t the only one who got lucky in Suna.” He said, nudging Naruto who immediately turned bright pink.

“SHUT UP PERVERT SANIN!” Naruto screamed.

“I KNEW IT! You say I’m the pervert but at least I don’t have _that_ on my neck.”

“I SAID SHADDAP!!”

He shrugged his shoulders and pulled his jacket close to his neck. Jiraiya just laughed and was secretly proud of his pupil.

They went on to experience the continent together and Naruto grew impressively strong. Despite his experience in Suna, he still wanted Sasuke home. He still didn’t know how exactly he felt about the Uchiha, only that he still missed him dearly.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Kankuro was training using his crow in his specialized training field for long range puppetry. He had been improving at an impressive rate. His jutsu was also a traditional jutsu of the sand and was highly respected. He was considered one of the sands most powerful ninja, although, he did not have much direct competition. A messenger from the Kazekage mansion appeared behind him.

“Lord Kankuro!” 

He turned to face the man as if to tell him to speak.

“You’re being summoned by the village elders. They wish to speak with you and your sister tomorrow at 11 AM sharp.”

He spoke with urgency in his voice. Kankuro looked at him, concerned. He nodded nervously and briskly wrapped his puppets to go find Temari. On his way home, he saw her rushing ahead of him and sped to catch up with her.

“Weird, right?” He said once he was at her side. 

“Yeah… about that… I think they’re going to ask you to become Kazekage. I overheard a conversation today between Ikanago and Gōza.”

He was silent for a few moments with a growing look of sheer panic.

“I… can’t do that.”

“What do you mean you can’t do that? You’re the Kazekage’s son, you have to do it.” 

“I’m not strong enough to be Kazekage, Temari. I can’t handle that type of thing. You have to be really smart and like… know things. I would have no idea what I’m doing.”

She knew that he had a huge responsibility weighing on him and didn’t blame him for wanting to back out. To be fair, she wouldn’t want the title either.

“…but if you don’t do it... and I sure as hell am not doing it, then the only other option is…”

“…Gaara.” Kankuro said lowly. “Who knows how that will go.” 

“No way he could do that. He’s come a long way… but would he be able to do something like that? You know how they see him…”

Kankuro looked down. Temari couldn’t argue with him. It seemed like it would be impossible to sell that to the elders.

“Maybe you should talk to him.” She said.

Kankuro couldn’t find Gaara in his room and knew the first place to look. He headed for the upper tiers of the city that looked out upon everything. Sure enough, he found his brother alone, watching the blazing sun setting before them.

“I’m going to become Kazekage.” Gaara said calmly as he heard his brother approach.

Kankuro looked at him, surprised.

“Y-you want to be Kazekage? How did you know that’s why I was coming up here?” Kankuro asked, shocked that his brother was so adamant about it.

“I heard the elders talking about making you Kazekage. You don’t want that though, do you?”

Kankuro stayed silent for a few moments.

“I’m just… afraid for you. What they might do or say in there…I-I mean, I don’t want to say it.” He paused for a moment more. “They only see you as a weapon… and the people are still terrified of you.”

Gaara’s heart hurt hearing his brother’s words. He didn’t respond.

“Seriously… leaving us and joining the regular troops won’t be easy for you. They won’t respect you.”

“I know that.” Gaara spoke with pain in his voice. “I have always known… but doing nothing at all and letting the damage I have done fester is worse and will bring even greater pain. I know what I must do. I need to clear my own path and perhaps then, that day will come... when I can be like him. I want to be part of this village, so I am aiming for the title of Kazekage as a shinobi of the sand. I will work hard to give back to the people of this village. Naruto brought me clarity. Until I met him, my ties to everyone brought me pain. He was a light in all my darkness, and he has been pushing me to redefine those ties… I think I finally understand the suffering and sadness of life along with the joy and happiness... I can share that with people. He... saved me from the hell I was enduring. One day, Kankuro, I would like to become someone precious to others too and not to be seen as some hideous weapon, but as the Sand’s Kazekage.”

Gaara looked back and smiled at his brother who had been quietly and intently listening. Kankuro blinked the tear out of his eye. 

“Gaara… you are already someone precious to others.” Kankuro smiled back at his little brother. “…And I support you in becoming our Kazekage.”

Kankuro walked up to his little brother and did something he had never been permitted to do in the past. He wrapped his arms around his little brother’s fragile frame and embraced him for the first time that he could recall. Gaara stood frozen for a moment before hugging him back.

“Thank you.”

Gaara fought back his own tears as he let himself feel the desperately needed platonic affection.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The Suna Council would commence at 11 AM sharp the next morning. Gaara had discovered the plans for the meeting using his 3rd eye since he had not been extended an invite. They were foolish to think that he would not see everything within the mansion walls. Today, he would become the Kazekage. He was determined to do better than his father did in every way. He put on his formal clothing and sat quietly in his room, readying himself to face the people who had conspired together to murder him for so many years. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. It was time to go. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The circular room held twelve seats surrounding an enormous circular table. Each of the Suna Council members had serious looks on their faces. Temari and Kankuro stood silently before them. The Suna Council leader, Ebizō began the meeting.

“It is 11:00 AM. The Suna Council will now commence. We have a difficult decision to make today which is why we have summoned you here. Lord Kankuro, you are the late Kazekage’s eldest son and therefore by birthright do you bear the responsibility of taking on your father’s role. We have gone long enough without a leader. Our village needs someone to be a face to our community and we believe that you are an appropriate selection. Do you accept your responsibility and duty to your village?”

Kankuro stared at the man with his mouth agape. The room felt much more intimidating than he had imagined.

_Where is he?_

“Well, ah, that is a, uh, something that I—”

The door to the room swung open to reveal his youngest brother who waited a moment before slowly entering. Low murmurs and whispers could be heard as he approached.

“I want to be Kazekage.” He said bluntly.

A few of the council members chuckled. The rest of them realized the reality of that happening and were frozen in their bias terror. Kankuro and Temari stared down the ones laughing causing them to cease quickly.

“And what on earth makes you think that _you, the village monster,_ would be the appropriate choice for the enormous responsibility of being our villages leader?” Asked Ebizō.

Gaara was silent for a few moments as he stared at the floor. It was what he had prepared for.

“…I am not a monster. What my father has placed inside me is a monster.” He spoke lowly and looked up to meet the eyes of Ebizō who readjusted himself in his seat.

“What I am, however, is the strongest shinobi of this village. I have been educated by the Kazekage himself and I know how to run Suna efficiently by the laws and procedures that are currently in place. I know the laws of this land better than anyone because I spent obscene hours of my childhood locked in a room with only books to pass the time including those of law and economics. I am well educated in politics, negotiations, and other languages. I am the most capable of caring for the people who live within these walls. Despite all these things…”

He paused to take a shaky breath and to collect his thoughts. The next part was the hard part. 

“...I dreaded my existence because you…, my father…, and others in this room. The village shunned me and looked down on me because of my father’s orders. I was not permitted to play with other children or go to school. I lived a terrible life of loneliness and in many ways I still do. You repeatedly conspired to kill me because of the sins my father had committed. The crimes of my father still haunt me in my sleep. Yet, despite your murderous intentions toward me and all the trauma that I have endured, I hold no ill will toward you. I wish to protect this village with my life and make a positive change that this village will never forget. This is what I have come to realize by knowing Naruto Uzumaki… The future Hokage. This is what I deserve a chance at doing.”

Ebizō stared at the near teary eyed Gaara for several moments, only now just seeing him as a human being.

Temari sniffed quietly as she tried to hide her tears. She had never heard Gaara's side of the story before. 

The room sat in a stunned pause, completely silent. With Kankuro silent too, it indicated a reality that many of them were not ready to accept. Ebizō blinked and leaned forward in his chair, studying Gaara carefully. He turned to Kankuro.

“Lord Kankuro, Lady Temari, do you both wish to decline the offer to become Kazekage?” Ebizō asked, knowing he was bound by the laws their first Kazekage had implemented for them.

Kankuro looked at his little brother and smiled at him with pride.

“Yes. I decline. It’s all you, Gaara.”

“Then, as the leader of this council, by birthright and blood…” he paused for a few moments. “…I am not given a choice… I hereby announce Lord Gaara as Kazekage of Suna.”

Gaara stared at the man in shock. He could not believe his ears. Kankuro got so excited he jumped to Gaara and tackle-hugged him which nearly caused him to fall. He excitedly called over Temari and the two wrapped their arms around their little brother.

“Your duties will begin tomorrow… at dawn.”

Ebizō couldn't help but smirk at the three.

“Go. You are dismissed.”

The sand siblings celebrated Gaara’s success with elation. He paid no mind to any comments or stares that night and smiled openly in public with his siblings. Anyone who gave him a side eye or said anything would get a mental slap in the face when Kankuro would loudly proclaim the news to them. Word spread quickly. Most were horrified by the news and others celebrated with them, happy to finally have a Kazekage capable of protecting the village. He was ready to make some serious changes in Suna.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music - Love on the Brain by Rihanna


	33. A Flame Reignited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I did five years between the first and second series instead of three... so that way... they are 18. 👀

Five years had passed since Sasuke’s sudden and cruel disappearance. Naruto, through his relentless search, would occasionally find evidence that he was alive. Small snippets of information would reach him such as hearing from a villager that a young raven haired teenager was seen in tow with a snake-like man. Another lead had been discovering a base of Orochimaru only to find it abandoned and empty. Each time, it would reignite his fiery will to keep his promise he had made to Sakura and to himself. The years that had passed proved to be difficult, but not at all empty. Feelings for others had come and gone. The last standing Uzumaki had grown into a deceptively intelligent bachelor who had begun to catch the eyes of many. He loved the attention, but nothing had ever been like it had been with Sasuke. He felt he might chase that feeling for the rest of his life. 

Naruto had finally completed his training with Jiraiya. At eighteen, he finally returned to Konoha. The nostalgia of being home caused great elation and with that elation came various recollections of his life prior to exploring the lands with Jiraiya. Old wounds ached upon seeing familiar landmarks where he and his team had spent so much time together. Despite the painful memories, he was more than excited to finally get to see Sakura, Kakashi and everyone else. He had missed them desperately. He resolved to not let the Uchiha rule his thoughts that day. 

Upon entering the village gates, he realized Tsunade had been hard at work. The streets felt safer. Konoha seemed to be thriving with life and there was no sign of hateful oppression. His friends and senseis had all changed in their own way and all had their own lives. Several of them had even found partners. Although he was vaguely jealous, he was happy to find that Sakura and Lee were happily together. He still thought that if she had ever liked him back, how things would have gone very differently for him in the beginning. 

On top of several of his friends finding partners, everyone had passed the Chunin exams. It had been a blow to his ego to find that he was the last one from his class, aside from Sasuke, of course. There had never been any official rank change for either of them. He always hoped that eventually they would earn the title together. To top off his feelings of inferiority, Shikamaru and Temari informed him of Gaara's success as Kazekage. Feelings of intense jealousy gripped him only for a moment, but his quick and modest resolve allowed him to direct the negative feelings to fighting for the title of Hokage with even greater adamancy. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The snakes had returned again into Sasuke's room, or at first, he had thought they were the usual slithering creatures that roamed each hideout. Then, he realized, they sounded different. He was preparing to maim whoever dared to wake him so rudely, when the unwanted visitor dared to speak _his_ name. 

_An intruder… it's that look-a-like fucker Orochimaru brought in here. Is Naruto really still looking for me?_

“What do you want?” Sasuke asked with irritation in his voice.

“To take you back to Konoha.” Sai peered inside Sasuke’s room. “I was originally going to kill you, but Naruto changed my mind. He cares about you a lot.”

“You woke me up… to tell me this?”

He spoke with scorn, but colorful emotions flooded to the surface that he hadn’t experienced in years.

_No. You’re not doing that, not now. Kill him. Kill him today._

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sakura and Naruto ran with impressive speed through the corridors, checking each room as they searched for their lost teammate. A loud and sudden boom echoed down the corridor to their left.

“Sasuke…” Naruto almost whispered.

He immediately changed his direction to sprint toward the sound. Something told him that he would finally see him today. This was the closest he had ever gotten. His heart raced as he rushed toward the light at the end of the tunnel. His mind darted around essentially leaving his thoughts wordless. Despite imagining the day on countless occasions, it was not like anything he had imagined before. He was certain he would not know what to say. 

Once he reached the end of the tunnel, he saw Sai standing looking up to the left of him. He had reached the light and even though his face was shadowed by the sun behind his head at the top of the cliff before him, Naruto saw Sasuke’s face for the first time in five years looking down at him. The two locked eyes and stared for several moments in silence. Both wanted to react, but neither of them could move or speak. Sasuke's jaw tensed, although he was still too far away for Naruto see. His face showed no emotion, but his mind and heart were fighting him furiously telling him to run to him.

_I have to kill him. Just get it over with. Sever it once and for all._

“You’re here.” Sasuke said calmly. "…and you’ve replaced me with this fool, spouting things about how you still care.”

It was another second or so before Naruto finally found his words. 

“I do.” He said softly. 

The tension could be felt as it lingered with a sort of heaviness in the air. Sasuke's mind began to race. He tried to force himself into his usual quiet control, but his thoughts would not obey. He was disappointed in himself for not being stronger. He thought it would have been easier at this point in his training, but the same swelling feeling from when he first left was making itself prominently known. 

“It's exactly why I need to kill you.”

“Then… why didn’t you kill me already!?” Naruto suddenly screamed at him.

Sasuke furrowed his brows as he contemplated his next words. 

“…I didn’t want to do what my brother wanted me to. The only reason I didn’t kill you then was because of a whim. It was my own decision.” 

_One last time._

In an instant, he had appeared closely in front of Naruto with his left arm resting on his shoulder. Their faces were just inches from each other. The touch, again, was like static. 

_Goodbye, Naruto._

“It’s a shame that you wanted the title of Hokage so badly. Today I will kill you… on a whim.” Sasuke whispered into his ear. 

“How can I be Hokage if I don’t have you by my side?” Naruto whispered back. 

It shot daggers through Sasuke’s heart. He fought the urge to react and instead drew his sword and held it high. His arm wouldn’t move. As much as he fought it, he couldn’t swing. 

_Why is he just standing there? He would really just... let me kill him?_

His mental battle gave time for Yamato to act and stop his attack. Sasuke reacted instantly and electrocuted Naruto and Yamato using his Chidori while simultaneously plunging his sword into Yamato’s shoulder. He looked over to see Naruto on the ground with his nine-tails eyes peering back up at him and took the opportunity to enter Naruto’s mind. 

_I want to see it._

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The Kyuubi laughed in Naruto’s face upon being told that he would not be needing the Kyuubi’s power anymore. _He_ wanted to save Sasuke and would not accept help from a monster who wanted to kill him. Sasuke's smooth voice caused him to jump. 

“So that is the monster that has been hidden inside you all this time.” Sasuke marveled, looking at the enormous boiling creature who’s form seeped out from behind the seal.

Naruto swiveled his head around and his heart nearly skipped a beat upon seeing the Uchiha roaming around in his mind freely. 

“Why are you here?” Naruto asked warily.

Sasuke had just tried to kill him again. He feared that it would happen again, but from within his mind. Deep in his subconscious, he knew that Sasuke would try, but he had refused to believe it to be true. His beliefs were being proven wrong. 

“I wanted to see where you got your strength from.” He spoke calmly.

He suppressed the Kyuubi’s chakra was a squeeze of a fist on its huge bubbling nose. The demon cackled.

“Impressive that you can suppress my chakra. Only Madara Uchiha was capable of that. Just one word of advice… don’t kill Naruto. You will regret it.”

The Kyuubi’s words sent shivers through Sasuke’s spine. For a moment, he just stared at the dark abyss beyond the bars of the seal. He turned to look at Naruto and studied him for a moment. He couldn't help but notice how attractive the blonde had become. He knew why killing him was so difficult, but he did not want to believe the reasons why still existed. He wanted to spend more time there, now that he could, but something pulled him back out. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Yamato’s attack came at him from behind. He leapt away swiftly to avoid it and landed back on the edge of the cliff where he had started.

“Sasuke! Don’t you get it!? He’s using you! He’s going to take your body!” Naruto screamed, trying desperately to reason with him.

“If it happens it happens. Ever since we were children, I have had one goal. If giving my body to Orochimaru will allow me to beat Itachi… I would do it as many times as it takes. I would give anything, even my life.”

Even though he had activated his Sharingan, Naruto could still see the pain in his eyes.

“I’m done with Konoha and you, Naruto.”

Sasuke began to use a jutsu that Naruto had never seen before. Before he was able to finish, Orochimaru appeared and grabbed his hand roughly.

“Let. Go.” Sasuke growled.

“You can’t use that technique.” Orochimaru said in a cool tone.

“Why not?” He snapped.

“Don’t talk to him like that.” Kabuto snapped back at him.

He glared angrily in Sasuke’s direction. He was so sick of the bratty comments. “…also if they have any chance of defeating any Akatsuki members, then that will help you with your revenge even if only by 1%”

He glared at Kabuto before forcing his wrist out of Orochimaru’s grasp. He looked down at Naruto one more time.

_Damn it. I hate when he’s right... besides... I should be allowed to do what I want aside from kill Itachi... I don't want to kill you. I just wanted to prove that I could... but..._

"Let's go..." Orochimaru said with a smirk.

Sasuke, Orochimaru, and Kabuto disappeared simultaneously into the dust.

Naruto watched him leave again. Sasuke was as cold as ever and impressively strong. His disappointment gripped him and he fought the urge to weep. He had made it this far, though, and he would not cease despite feeling incredibly powerless. It was not a matter of _wanting_ to help him, he _needed_ to help him. He would do anything it took. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The room’s air was thick from the heavy panting and body heat that radiated from Sasuke’s bed. He gripped the sheets, nearly ripping them apart as Naruto moved roughly against his body. He arched his back in excessive ecstasy as he felt the ripples of pure pleasure stem from his groin and travel up his stomach. Each touch to his chest and every kiss to his neck pushed him further to his peak. He moaned as he felt the surge of energy flow through his entire body as he climaxed, sending him into a shivering contortion.

He slowly opened his eyes to see Orochimaru’s ugly head staring at him through the ceiling with yellow eyes and disgusting extended tongue. He screamed loudly which caused him to wake from his dream… or was it a nightmare? He was still breathing heavily and realized that he had made a mess of himself in his sleep. He blushed intensely as the dream replayed in his head. He could still feel the echoes of the pleasure in his lower abdomen.

_Where the fuck did that come from?_

He sat in his swirling thoughts for a few more moments.

 _I_ _’m going to kill Orochimaru._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song - Hunter by 30 Seconds to Mars


	34. Finally Free

Orochimaru was weak. The body that had been provided to him by Kabuto was not nearly strong enough to manage his warped and powerful chakra. He was deteriorating quickly. It would be time to go through with his plan with the Uchiha soon. He had not imagined it would have been as soon as the very same day. Sasuke had struck him with such force that the Kusanagi blade had penetrated through both of his hands, his shoulder and the wall behind him. He glared intensely at his future vessel with beads of sweat dripping down his face. The preparations had almost been complete and the boy had him fooled thinking he would participate willingly. It was clearly no longer the case or was never the case at all. 

“Orochimaru… you’re weaker than me. There’s no point in sacrificing my body to you.” Sasuke said calmly at the door.

His curse mark had begun to spread across his body.

“Big words from the leftover Uchiha.” Orochimaru snarled.

“Hmph, that’s right. You only wanted me because you couldn’t have Itachi. Right? Mr. Great Sanin, the genius of jutsus shinobi? You’re nothing compared to an Uchiha. You disgust me.”

Sasuke had been waiting to relentlessly berate Orochimaru. Speaking the words he had been thinking satisfied him greatly. He lunged at him and attacked his master's weak and helpless body. Orochimaru’s true form of a huge and ugly white snake disturbingly wriggled from the corpse like a dying parasite. Each of its scales wielded its own snake head and its mouth was permanently agape showing rows of terrible teeth. It reared its horrible head in Sasuke’s direction.

“Come on Sasuke! You know you will weild all the more power if you hand your body over to me.”

The snake lunched at him and several of smaller scaled snakes shot outward at Sasuke. He successfully evaded and deflected each attack. He shifted into his Level 2 curse mark stage and prepared to finally kill the Sanin that had groomed him to use so carefully. He sliced the snake in several places with too much ease. The curse mark receded only for Sasuke to realize that he did not feel well. He collapsed and began to breath heavily.

“Feeling the effects of the poison in the air, finally?” Orochimaru sneered. 

His ugly head had risen again formed by new snakes. Sasuke thought for a moment he may actually be some kind of demented immortal. He could not move, and the snake attacked. His world went black momentarily before he awoke in the realm by which Orochimaru completed his body transfer jutsu. A disgusting representation of Orochimaru’s soul appeared from the fleshy ground below him and slowly began to inch toward him. Sasuke was genuinely repulsed by the sight. The figure was covered in what could have been skin and muscle entangled with hair and veins. Orochimaru’s tongue and part of his face was pushing out of the front of the figure. The same depraved flesh formed protrusions onto Sasuke's own skin, threatening to take him to be with the sad lost souls wailing in the realm around him. He looked at Orochimaru calmly with his Sharingan eyes. Orochimaru stood no chance against them and rather than absorbing Sasuke’s power, Sasuke absorbed him completely. It was time for him to finally be free of his obligations to his master.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Konoha’s bars were packed to the brim with wild drunken fools as it did nearly every Friday night. Word had spread quickly of Orochimaru's death. In less than a day it had reached Jiraiya’s ears who had promptly told Tsunade. They bantered back and forth with each other following the harsh news. Not to mention, there had been whispers that the Akatsuki leader was mobilizing. Despite his actions, drinking the pain away was still needed. It was to commemorate the loss of their ex-teammate. He was a vile and disgusting creature, but he still held significance in both of their hearts. By the end of the night, Tsunade was plastered and Jiraiya was drunk. The difference being that Jiraiya did not end up vomiting all over the park pathway on their way back to the Hokage’s tower.

“Jesus, you’re worse with Sake than me. Let’s sit for a bit.” Jiraiya said. 

He hobbled over to a park bench with her under his arm to keep her on her feet and sat her down.

“You’re gonna die if you go after that Akatsuki leader.” Tsunade slurred.

“HAH! You know it could happen. If you place your bets on me dying, I feel a little safer though.”

He laughed as she playfully pushed his arm.

“If you need me… please send for me and I will come.” Tsunade said, suddenly very serious.

“You have a village to run. You can’t leave here. Besides, what if you died too? We can’t go changing Hokage’s on them that quickly.”

“Well there’s Kakashi if needed… and Naruto eventually.” She said with a smirk. “…but I suppose you are right.”

“That crazy kid. I’ve come to think of him as one of my own now. He looks so much like Minato, but his heart is like Kushina’s… he really is going to be something someday.”

He smiled up at the sky.

“He’s already something. You better come back to make sure he sees out his chosen future.” She said. 

She matched his smile and they locked eyes for a moment. He broke the unusual stare and stood up to stretch his arms high and wide. 

“Hah! You can count on it. Anyway… if anything happens. Don’t cry too much for me.” 

“Hmph. As if I would!” She joked. Her tone turned serious again. “Come back safe…”

“Hey! Hey! Don’t worry about me. Go ahead and nurse that hangover you’re giving yourself. I’m outta here. Later, Tsunade!” 

He gave her one last reassuring smile and left with a happy-go-lucky wave. She watched him walk away with sadness in her face, terrified that she may never see him again. 

_Goodbye, Jiraiya._

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The dark corridor was cold and empty aside from the poor test subjects who floated lifelessly inside their tanks. The evil place was where Orochimaru had done his experiments on human beings. It gave Sasuke the creeps. It could have just as easily been him in one of those tanks. He was only there out of necessity. He knew that getting to Itachi alone would be irrational and stupid. He would need a team. Someone there would be a valuable asset should he choose to come along. The trouble would just be convincing him. With one swift movement, he broke open the glass case which contained Suigetsu Hōzuki who slowly crawled out of _the puddle_ on the floor and much to Sasuke’s discomfort, completely naked.

“Finally… Thank you, Sasuke.”

Suigetsu smiled with his sharp, shark-like teeth. His white hair covered most of his face and was sopping wet.

“I’ve come to collect you. You’re the first.” Sasuke said calmly. 

He purposefully fixated his eyes on Suigetu's, not daring to look anywhere else. 

“…The first?”

Suigetsu began to stretch his arms out and legs out, bending in various contortions. His tank had been terribly cramped. Sasuke looked away entirely. 

“We need Juugo from the North and Karin from the South.” 

“Do we have to? I fucking hate Karin. She’s a rude bitch… and that Juugo isn’t any fun-loving bastard either.”

“I don’t need you to like each other. Just cooperate.”

“Well I suppose you are my knight in shining armor.” He said sarcastically. “I can go with you, but what do you want with them?”

“For all of them… to shut up and come with me.”

He was vaguely irritated at the comment. Not to mention, it was clear his teammate had no shame. It was intensely distracting. 

“Can you put some damn clothes on?”

In a fraction of a second Suigetsu was behind Sasuke with his finger on his temple.

“Way to be a leader, Sasuke.” He whispered in Sasuke’s ear which sent shivers through his body. “You don’t get to be boss just because you killed Orochimaru, you know. You were his little prince, so he kept you close. You just had the most opportunities.”

Sasuke could feel Suigetsu’s body behind him.

_What the hell is he doing?_

“What’s your point?” Sasuke asked calmly.

He was not nearly as phased by his new teammates actions as he would have been in the past. He had grown quite numb to intimidation tactics. Orochimaru was also much more intimidating than Suigetsu could ever hope to be.

After a few seconds of silence, Suigetsu laughed.

“Just kidding! You are so calm… that’s enough for me.” He smiled and stepped to Sasuke’s side. “I always heard about how strong you were… including what happened with Zabuza.”

Sasuke did not respond.

_I really didn’t do much during that fight…but I guess that works to my advantage._

“You have always been the quiet stoic type. Mmk, Sasuke. I will go with you, but on one condition. I want Zabuza’s sword.”

“Fine. Get dressed. Now.”

“What, you don’t appreciate what you see?” He approached Sasuke who turned his head away again. His tone turned soft. “If it’s that tempting, maybe you should just take it.”

He was only inches from the Uchiha. He slowly moved his hand between them, his intentions anything but pure. For a moment, Sasuke hesitated. He grabbed Suigetsu's wrist with no space to spare.

“Touch me… and die.” 

“Aw, no fun.”

Accepting Sasuke’s rejection wasn’t a big deal to Suigetsu. The hesitation gave an indicator that maybe there was a chance. Even if there wasn't, it seemed like it would be easy to fluster the Uchiha if he played his cards right. He had never seen a straight man act that weird in front of another nude man before.

The two set out for where Zabuza had died on the Great Naruto Bridge. Suigetsu's continuous flirtations throughout their travels were desperately ignored. He could tell, however, that Sasuke didn't entirely hate it which made it fun. Truthfully, Sasuke was vaguely jealous. His teammate was confident and was not afraid of rejection or scorn from the outside world. An intensely burning thought had been gnawing at the back of his mind. At first, the idea had repulsed him. Then, with repeated flirtatious gestures, and attention, his will began to crumble. 

_Why does it matter now anyway? I can play by my own rules... Is this guy just joking? No..._

He thought back to his time in Konoha and the horrible treatment he had received for his affections with Naruto. He resolved that if anyone treated him that way again, he would destroy them with his new found strength. His dreams about Naruto had become more frequent and he _craved_ it. He thought about the possibility of dying a virgin upon encountering Itachi. It was far too sad of a story for him, although, he would have preferred it to be Naruto. He felt his face flush warm at the thought. He looked over at his teammate again. 

_You will do._

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Late that night, after Suigetsu had gotten his sword, Sasuke went to where he was sleeping and kicked his side lightly causing water to splash behind him.

“Get up.” He said seriously.

“Wha—” Suigetsu started to say sleepily.

“Come with me.” Sasuke commanded.

Suigetsu sat up and looked up at the cold faced Uchiha.

“Wherever are we going, O, Master?” He said sarcastically.

His voice was still vaguely hoarse. He got up and followed Sasuke into the nearby woods. He looked around at the endless darkness which represented the woods and did not notice that Sasuke had vanished.

“It’s creepy out here. What is this abou—”

Sasuke reappeared behind him and pushed him against the nearby tree. He pressed their bodies together. 

“Shut up.”

Sasuke kept him pinned in place for several seconds. Something was holding him back. His heart was beating fast now and Suigetsu could tell. Nervousness had encapsulated him. Suigetsu smiled as his face was nearly pushed up against the bark on the tree. He could have melted away at any moment, but he chose not to. 

“So rough, Sasuke. I like it. Are you going to fuck me or you just going to stand there?” Suigetesu taunted.

He pushed his ass against Sasuke’s groin and could tell he wasn’t the only one turned on. He moved his hips back and forth to create further friction. Sasuke accepted the movements for a few moments. His eagerness overcame him and he forcefully removed only necessary clothing. Suigetsu was lucky he was basically a walking puddle because the way Sasuke shoved himself inside would have caused anyone else to bleed. Suigetsu jumped at the sensation. 

_Either he doesn’t care or he’s new to this. Probably both._

Sasuke's breathing hitched. He had always imagined it to be something like masturbation but it was an entirely new and incredible sensation. He supported himself with one hand against the tree and the other on Suigetsu’s hip. He increased his pace and groaned softly as he felt himself get close. Suigetsu moaned in pleasure as he touched himself. He had been confined and bodiless for so long that despite Sasuke being a terrible lay, it still felt amazing. When he came, the sounds he made sent Sasuke over the edge. His legs nearly buckled beneath him as intense pleasure shot through his body. He couldn't help but be significantly louder than he had intended. They stayed pressed together for only a moment. Sasuke promptly pulled away, wiped himself off and fixed his clothes. The entire interaction had lasted barely over six minutes.

“I knew you wanted to fuck me.” Suigetsu mocked through his panting breaths.

Sasuke stopped and turned toward him. Before Suigetsu could blink, Sasuke's sword was to his throat.

“Tell anyone and I’ll kill you.” He growled.

Suigetsu found Sasuke’s threats _very_ hard to take seriously with a blush plastered across his face. He smirked back at the Uchiha.

“Fine… you bossy closet queen... Put that thing away.”

Suigetsu carefully backed away from the blade and began to walk back to their camp. Not like it would do any real damage anyway. Sasuke just glared at him.

“Well good night Sasuke. Thanks, I guess.” Suigetsu sighed.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him as he walked away. Suigetsu was something of an enigma to him. He was fascinated by his relentless confidence. 

_What’s a closet queen?_

He wondered about the comment for several moments before giving up on it. He had decided he didn’t want to know enough to ask. He laid back down beside their camp and stared at the sky. He felt dirty for doing what he did and longed for some kind of serenity. He looked up at the huge moon gazing back at him in all her beauty. He wondered if Naruto was looking at the same moon for a moment before the haunting memory of Itachi invaded his mind. From that point on that night, all he thought about was his given purpose. It was the only thing that mattered.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The two headed to the southernmost hideout, another one of Orochimaru's prisons, to locate Karin, the warden. Sasuke had been planning to visit the island to free the prisoners the first chance he got. The sight of innocent people in cells had grown to sicken him and remind him of his past. Karin was pretty, he guessed, but her personality made her ugly in his eyes. She was another one of Orchimaru’s desperate followers and worshipped the ground that he walked on. It was pitiful, almost. He would need her to kill Itachi and convincing her would be easy. She had _that_ power.

“Huh!? You want me to just ditch this place!?” Karin was appalled by Sasuke’s audacity. “What the hell am I supposed to do with all those inmates?”

“Suigetsu, go release the prisoners.”

_Easy fix, Karin, stop making excuses._

“Still acting _bossy_ I see.”

Suigetsu shot Sasuke a look. Sasuke’s eyebrow twitched and he pretended he didn't hear the comment.

“Wha!? Don’t you dare!” Karin screamed at Suigetsu.

He smiled at her and went to leave anyway.

“What’s the use for them now? There’s no point.” Sasuke tried to reason with her.

“I still refuse! Besides, why would I want to follow you around?” She yelled back at him.

“Fine. If you really don’t want to go with me, I’ll find someone else.”

Sasuke was brilliant at reverse psychology. He had learned from Kabuto. Her entire demeanor suddenly changed, and she took off her glasses.

“Fine… I’ll come if that’s what _you_ really want me to do.” She said in a low sensual voice.

He frowned and tilted his head. 

_Ugh. Not again._

She sat on the couch next to him, much too close for comfort. He leaned away from her.

“You sure changed your mind quickly… what are you doing? Get off.”

He pushed her away from him.

Suigetsu returned from freeing the grateful prisoners from their cells. He wiggled the handle of the door to realize it was locked.

_That damn Karin is probably hitting on Sasuke. Bitch._

He cut the door down with his massive sword to interrupt whatever she was trying to do to his new interest.

“Are we leaving yet?” He asked impatiently.

“Yes. Let’s go.”

Sasuke was relieved to be saved from Karin behind closed doors. Juugo was the last stop.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

In the damp lightless cell, a man sat with his knees pulled to his chest as he rocked back and forth chanting his constant mantra.

_A man… no… a woman. No…. a man._

His mind kept him in an inconclusive purgatory; doomed to permanently stick in the in between. His delicate thoughts were ruled him as he would flip from feeling intense murderous rage to absolute bliss. He had a pure understanding of the way of the universe around him. There was no middle. The stalemate in his head continued to rock itself back and forth beneath the extremes of his persona.

_A man… no… a woman… no…. a man._

His cell door creaked horribly as the latches were pulled from their place after sitting still for a considerable amount of time and he peered up to see bright red eyes of… _a man!_

 _“_ I GET TO KILL A MAN TODAY!!”

The prisoner immediately got up and activated a curse mark throughout half of his body which generated a large gray arm with horrible edges growing out of his rough skin. He swung hard at Sasuke who had only been able to block the attack using his own cursed wing.

“Not another copy of me!” He screamed at Sasuke.

He had seen hundreds similar to him die from the effects of the curse and a few successful. The sight of yet another experiment only pressed his rage.

“Juugo… I’m not here to fight you. I just want to talk to you.” Sasuke said calmly. 

Juugo ignored his comment and went for him again with full force. He was blocked again, but there was no returned strike.

“Sasuke, let me deal with this guy… and then I’m coming for you, Karin.” Suigetsu said angrily since he had been left alone earlier.

He only blamed Karin despite Sasuke going along with her.

“Shut up Suigetsu, we’re not here to fight.” Sasuke scolded. “…Just let me talk to him.”

“He doesn’t even understand what you’re saying! Look at him!” Suigetsu protested.

Juugo was triggered by Suigetsu’s comments and lunged at him with intent to kill. Suigetsu followed suit and swung Zabuza’s massive sword in Juugo’s direction.

“Enough!” Sasuke yelled at them both.

_They are worse than children._

They didn’t listen to his words and continued to attempt to fight.

_If that’s how you want to do it, then so be it._

Sasuke summoned two large white binding snakes which wrapped themselves tightly around Suigetsu and Juugo so they could not move.

“How about I just kill both of you?”

Sasuke was sleep-deprived, exhausted, and hungry. They had struck a nerve by ignoring him. He used his own chakra to try to suppress Juugos to calm the curse. It forced Juugo's curse mark to recede and he suddenly become calm.

_It worked._

Juugo slowly receded back into the version of himself that had existed prior to Orochimaru’s biological tampering. He looked around to see the damage that was caused and panicked when he realized he was outside of his cell. He immediately ran back inside and tried to shut the door and would have had Sasuke not stopped it. He collapsed to the floor of his cell and held his temples as if he were in some great agony.

“AAAAH!! DON’T MAKE ME KILL THEM ANYMORE! PLEASE!” He screamed as he desperately clutched at his head, rocking back and forth wildly as he did so.

“Juugo… it’s okay. I won’t let you kill anyone. Orochimaru is dead. Come with me.”

Sasuke’s tone was soft. Juugo’s body suddenly stopped moving and his erratic breaths calmed themselves.

“The only person who was capable of that was Kimimaru. I cannot leave without him.” Juugo spoke lowly.

Sasuke frowned at him. 

_I should tell him the truth._

“Kimimaru died, Juugo… trying to protect me.”

Sasuke spoke cautiously, aware that his reaction may either work very well for him or very much against him.

“He died for you… which means… you must be Sasuke Uchiha.”

Juugo slowly turned his head back toward the door where Sasuke was peering inside. Kimimaru told him before his final battle where he was going and what he would do. Juugo knew that it would be the death of his friend. They had said their final goodbyes that night. He looked at Sasuke and understood that Kimimaru would have wanted him to protect Sasuke. So, he would follow Kimimaru's wishes. He rose from the grave floor and exited his cell by his own will for the first time in years.

The team was now complete. Sasuke’s final task would now be to find and kill his brother. It would all be over soon. The team traveled back toward where Sasuke had last heard the Akatsuki was active. They made camp shortly after sunset in the rocky part of the desert. Suigetsu had complained again about the miles they had traveled. He was truly exhausted himself, so he gave into the demands much to Karin’s irritation. Sleep still came with incredible difficulty as he contemplated his task ahead of him. It had laughed in his face for most of his life and now it was here. He was going to end it all.

His heart filled with dread, not because of what might happen if he died. He was no longer afraid of death. The existential dread came purely from the idea that he would have a life after the death of Itachi. What was he to do with such an agonizing life? The thought made his heart beat fast and his hands feel numb. The sky seemed to close in around him like he was performing a hideous genjutsu on himself. He sat up as his breathing seemed to be abnormal. He got up and began to walk away as to not attract anyone’s attention as they slept and took refuge behind a large rock away from the camp. He collapsed to the ground from intense dizziness that had amplified with each staggered step. He was breathing heavily.

_What is happening to me?_

He clutched his heart. It felt as if it would beat out of his chest. His mind kept circling over Itachi and the thought of having to go on afterward. After over 20 agonizing minutes it calmed itself enough so that he felt he could return to his spot near the fire. He watched the flames burn the wood. The snaps and flickers from the fire calmed his racing mind. He watched ashen pieces of the log flicker through the night sky. He closed his eyes and his body finally gave into excessive exhaustion. His dreams did not dare disturb him that night despite his terror that they would.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The crisp autumn air rushed in and out of Sakura’s lungs as she hurried to Naruto’s apartment. She had been given urgent orders to find him and to bring him back to the Hokage’s office as quickly as possible. She pounded on the door with no response. She pounded harder, careful not to accidentally break it down. It would not have been the first time. 

“Naruto! You better not be asleep!” She yelled through the door. She heard him rustle around and grumble to himself. “Hurry!”

The lock could be heard sliding open followed by a wiggle of his old creaky door handle.

“Huh? Good morning Sakura.” Naruto said sleepily still in his night clothes.

He had a semi-warm microwaved bowl of ramen in one hand.

“It’s NOON! Are you eating ramen for breakfast? Ew. Never mind that, Tsunade wants to see us now. It’s urgent… she said to tell you that it has to do with Sasuke.” 

Sakura nearly blurted the last part of her sentence. She felt guilty for using Sasuke’s name as an excuse for getting Naruto to get ready more quickly. Then again, it was Tsunade’s strategy, not hers. She suddenly got a good whiff of what could only be described as sweaty boy and trash.

_Ugh, God, Naruto, clean your room._

“S-Sasuke!?” He looked at her shocked. “Well why didn’t you say that sooner!?”

He roughly put the ramen on his dresser causing the soup to spill over the edge, grabbed his keys, swung outside, and locked the door.

“You’re not even going to change!?”

“Nah, it’s fine! I’ll do it later!”

He was already running toward the Hokage’s office.

“WAIT! Ugh… Naruto.”

She followed after him.

_He’s so gross sometimes. I hope Sasuke is okay… We haven’t heard anything in a long time._

The two arrived less than 10 minutes after Sakura had initially left to find him. Naruto immediately flung open the doors to the Hokage’s office in his pajamas. His thought process told him that it would be his eventually anyway and he would wear whatever he wanted.

“Old Lady Tsunade!! What happened!? Where’s Sasuke!?” He demanded.

His excitement quickly changed to fear when he saw the look on Tsunade’s face. She looked serious and pained like she had just witnessed something terrible. Sakura finally caught up and followed Naruto inside.

“Naruto, Sakura… I’ve called you here to inform you that Orochimaru is dead.” She took a breath. “Sasuke killed him according to our sources.”

Naruto and Sakura both stared at Tsunade. Everyone in that room knew what it meant that Orochimaru was now dead by Sasuke's hand. He would go after Itachi next. Sakura finally found her voice among the silence.

“Do we have any idea where Itachi is?” 

Tsunade slowly nodded her head.

“We will have you, Naruto, Kakashi, and a few other choice ninjas set out on a mission in the general vicinity of where they should be headed.”

“Alright. Let’s try again.” Naruto said with resolve.

He would get Sasuke back… even if it were kicking and screaming the entire way, he would show him the light.

“There’s something else I need to inform you of.” Tsunade said with a voice trying not to shake. “…Jiraiya is dead too. He died trying to protect us from the Akatsuki.”

She had tears at the corners of her eyes despite telling herself she would be strong for him. Sakura covered her mouth and turned to Naruto. He stared at Tsunade for a few moments with a look on his face that clearly showed his heart breaking again. The reality of what Tsunade said and the truthfulness in the way she had said it caused him to collapse to one knee on the ground. He stared at the floorboards and tears began to flow down his face. Jiraiya had been the only kind of real father figure he had had in his life. Iruka had helped him plenty, sure, but it wasn’t the same. He had spent so much time with Jiraiya, training and sleeping under the stars and in various clubs in cities all over the continent. The weight of the information almost crushed him completely. The heavy pain took over his body.

He wiped away the tears. He knew that if he catered to it, he would not be able to do what he had to do.

_Get up. You can cry later just get up. You have to get up and go get him. Get up._

Naruto slowly rose from the ground. He felt a hand inside his and looked down to see that Sakura was holding it and fighting back tears of her own. Not for Jiraiya, but for him.

“Let’s go find Sasuke.” He said with a shaky voice. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song - Closer by Nine Inch Nails


	35. A Purpose Worth Living For

The rain begun to pour ruthlessly over the land, soaking anything uncovered. Itachi stood alone at the edge of the cliff amidst the foul weather. He fought against his own temptation to lay down and rest for the rest of his days. He was tired and had lived a full life despite only being in his early 20s. His chest hurt daily, and his eyes were failing him. It would only be a matter of time before he would not have a choice in the matter. He had been standing in the same position for so long that his entire body had become soaked to his skin. None of it mattered to him, though. He just wanted to feel every bit of the blurry sky above him. He knew his little brother was finally coming for him and that this time, it would be much different from the last.

_I’m ready for you, Sasuke._

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

“Does anyone have any leads?” Sasuke asked with urgency. 

He was annoyed that he had been forced to be bed ridden for the last day. He was still healing from the massive self-destructive explosion made by Deidara. It had been a close call, but luck had still been on his side. 

“You almost died. Why are you thinking about Itachi right now?” Karin scolded.

He had bruises and cuts throughout his body and looked like he was about to pass out. Despite her words of scorn, she admired his beaten physique and found it to be wildly attractive. 

“Lots of sources about the Akatsuki, but nothing on Itachi specifically.” Suigetsu said, disappointed that he could not contribute anything valuable. “I guess they want people with special chakra right now.”

“Special chakra?” Sasuke asked.

The exhaustion could be heard in his voice. He was almost certain that the Akatsuki was still searching for Naruto, but wanted to confirm. The thought unnerved him.

“The animals tell me that the Akatsuki locations all have strange radiating chakra coming from them.” Juugo said calmly from the window.

“Fucking animals can see chakra!? Ha! Then again Karin can too so that’s not saying much.” Suigetsu taunted.

He loved to push her buttons.

“YOU ASSHOLE!” She retorted. 

Sasuke sighed as he watched her get up and begin kicking Suigetsu in the head. Despite her violent intentions, the only damage may have been warping to the wooden floor from water splashing all over the room from Suigetsu's form. He yelled at her in protest in between kicks. Water droplets sprinkled on Sasuke’s face causing him to instinctively blink. He was exhausted and they weren’t really hurting each other so he just watched.

The ridiculousness of it reminded him of what he used to know as home. The situations Naruto used to get them in on Team 7 had been, he supposed, fun, even. Ever since he had seen him again after all those years, he couldn’t stop thinking about him. It was just like before, only this time it was worse. Every time he thought of him, he got a moment of relief from the daily agony that represented his reality. He supposed he would be cursed by his thoughts of the blonde forever without ever receiving fulfillment. It was not like he could ever return to Konoha, or at least he thought. He knew Naruto would not stop until he brought him back to that terrible place filled with ugly memories. For that reason alone, he would never be able to be close to him again.

Even though it had not been a real fight, Juugo could not tell the difference. The creature that Orochimaru had embedded in his psyche began wildly pushing to the surface and he could not help but let it loose.

“Kill… I want to kill…”

The curse mark began to spread. Juugo suddenly screamed and took everyone’s attention. Suigetsu and Karin immediately turned their attention to him and tried to restrain him. It would soon be no use.

“Hurry, Sasuke!” Suigetsu yelled in a panicked voice.

“That’s... enough… Juugo.”

He acted quickly and managed to control the situation. It took a heavy toll.

_They… better be good… I’m gonna…_

He slumped over with his lips parted. He breathed in a heavy and rhythmic pattern through his mouth. Sleep had demanded it's presence and he finally had no choice but to give in.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The small village in which Sasuke and his newly formed team stayed was fairly isolated within the forest. It was mostly farmers and non-ninja who lived normal lives. Karin was eager to return to their inn after going for a supply run. A sleeping Sasuke was simply too adorable to miss. She was fantasizing about getting him alone, away from Juugo and that _fucking fish_ when her senses caused her to stop in her tracks. 

_What the hell is that?_

Her extraordinary ability informed her that several ninjas were tracking them with dogs.

 _That’s probably the damn Leaf looking for Sasuke…_

She raced toward the inn as quickly as she could.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Suigetsu was growing impatient. There was nothing to do, aside from watch the Uchiha sleep, and it wasn't nearly as interesting as other potential activities. 

“I’m gonna go look for Karin.” He said, worried that she was off doing something she shouldn’t.

As he put his hand to the door, it abruptly slammed directly into his face. 

“WHAT THE SHIT!?” He screamed as he was slammed to the ground by the now broken and unhinged door.

“Sasuke, WAKE UP!” She screamed.

Sasuke’s eyes shot open. He felt like he was on another planet and struggled to focus as his heart raced. He had only slept for about three hours after not getting hardly any for the last few days. His body craved a weeks worth of sleep. He blinked several times and then looked over at Karin who was yelling wildly about... _The Leaf!?_ He grunted as he forced himself up. He had expected it to be much more difficult to move. He felt pretty good, actually, aside from being sleep deprived.

_Must be from absorbing Orochimaru._

“Let’s go.” He said. 

He cleared his throat and began putting his shoes on. The other three followed suit. “We’ll go to the hideouts that your birds found, Juugo.”

Sasuke stopped for a moment as he imagined what would happen if he gave up on everything and just went with Naruto.

_I don't have that privilege._

They finished packing, paid their dues, and left the inn. They headed out immediately toward the hideout which had the most recent Akatsuki activity. Karin put her hand on Juugo’s shoulder as to not alert Suigetsu and Sasuke who had already gone ahead.

“Help me out with something.” She said slyly, holding up Sasuke’s bloodied shirt from his battle with Deidara. Juugo looked at her, disturbed.

“Why do you have his old shirt?” He asked, not really sure he wanted to know the answer.

Karin blushed wildly.

“N-NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS! Look! I was asking you because if we scatter this shirt into pieces using your birds, then we can lose the scent of our pursuers.” 

He nodded, thankful that she had a legitimate plan although he still thought it to be strange. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Naruto and his team raced in Sasuke’s direction. He had been unusually quiet the entire journey. His mind was focusing on basic functions and trying to rip itself away from the death of Jiraiya. Finding Sasuke was certainly a good distraction and they were close now according to the dogs. 

“Not good. Sasuke’s scent has spread around into multiple locations. They must know we’re tracking them by scent. That’s incredible.” Kiba said. 

Naruto side eyed him but did not respond. Part of him wished he could be the one to track Sasuke's scent. 

“They must have an extremely talented sensory ninja… There’s too many sources of his scent for us to split up. Maybe… 40?” Kakashi reasoned.

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll track down each one myself.” Naruto said almost angrily.

He was tired of chasing him and silently resolved to beat Sasuke up if he refused to come back with him. He had it coming, after all. He activated his shadow clone jutsu and sent two clones in every direction Kiba pointed. He shook his head as they pressed forward, knowing that Sasuke was smarter than that. 

_He knows that I use shadow clones, so why?_

After a few minutes of searching, he located someone waiting in the trees. His clone jumped down and hid within the forest. The eyes had seen him despite his efforts. He peaked around the corner and noticed the eerie glow of the Sharingan staring back at him. It sent shivers up his spine.

_Sasuke!? No… that’s not him._

The shadowy figured stepped out into the light to reveal himself.

_...Itachi, shit._

Naruto immediately looked down.

_Don’t look in his eyes like Kakashi said._

It was terrifying not to look directly at an enemy that powerful standing before him.

“Uzumaki Naruto… show yourself.” Itachi said in his usual monotone fashion.

Naruto gritted his teeth. 

_Shit._

He made his way out from behind the tree and focused on Itachi’s feet.

“Gonna try and capture me again?” He asked, wary that Itachi may try.

He did not want to experience any of Itachi’s sick genjutsu Kakashi had warned him about.

“No… I want to talk to you… about my brother.”

Naruto had two more shadow clones jump out of the darkness and attack Itachi from behind. He easily destroyed the clones. 

“I won’t fall for your tricks.” Naruto said adamantly.

He knew Itachi was far beyond his skill level and that the battle would be arduous. He would need to at least try to capture him before Sasuke got the chance to kill him. 

“I see you know a little more about the Sharingan, but you’re alone. Why don’t you run away?”

“I’ve got to capture you… so I can find Sasuke.” He said seriously.

“What is it that makes you care about him so much? He abandoned you years ago.”

Itachi was genuinely curious about Sasuke's ties to Konoha.

“He’s…” Naruto paused to collect his thoughts. “…His safety and well-being means the world to me. I could never let him go, no matter what. Why do _you_ care, anyway?”

An ever so slight smile appeared on Itachi’s face. Naruto had enough of Itachi’s mind games and attacked head on regardless of Kakashi’s instructions. Itachi’s body dispersed into crows as Naruto swung at him.

“You’re already caught in my illusion. I just wanted to talk.” Itachi said calmly as he reappeared behind Naruto.

_FUCK. He’s too good._

“W-why!?”

“I needed to confirm something. I have an important matter to attend to. Take care of him, Uzumaki Naruto.”

With those final words he disappeared into the crows again. They cawed loudly as they dispersed into the air.

 _Looks like you found affection in this dark world after all, Sasuke._


	36. A Terrible Mistake

The first Akatsuki hideout appeared to be an abandoned cave, hidden by the surrounding forest. It was so well hidden that they had passed the location once and had to backtrack by tracing the feintest of signs that the Akatsuki had been there. Sasuke and his team stood just outside. They all were anxious to see if their target could be found within the cave's depths. Juugo and Karin took a few more steps toward the cave's dark and ominous entrance.

“Stop. You guys wait here. I’m going in alone.” Sasuke ordered. 

Although he had expected his mind to react in the usual frustrating way that it did when under immense pressure, he felt eerily calm. Something about it being the end of his fight to kill his brother was serene to him. He believed his purpose would finally be fulfilled that day.

He cautiously entered the cave. It was dark, dusty, and smelled of dampened earth. He guessed that no one had been there for quite some time, but that would likely be what Itachi would want him to think. There was no sign of life anywhere. He wondered if Juugo really could speak to the animals that led them there. Perhaps he had been too anxious to move forward, and he would not find his brother that day after all. Part of him wanted it to be true. The other part of him was incredibly desperate to get it over with. He turned a corner and entered into a large clearing inside the cave which had obviously been made by a jutsu. A reassuring sign. After taking only a few steps, he noticed a figure standing alone at the far edge. 

“You’re here.” The soft voice echoed.

Sasuke did not recognize it, or rather, he did not want to recognize the voice.

“Who are you?” He demanded.

“Sasuke… it’s me.”

Itachi’s voice had an edge of sadness. It was a tone that Sasuke had forgotten about as his brother had only ever used it to calm him when he was distressed. Itachi hadn’t spoken to him like that in nearly 10 years. The memories of his brother comforting him through his childhood troubles induced a rotten feeling deep from within him. He ignored it adamently and activated his Sharingan knowing full well that Itachi already had done so. He could not find his voice to reply.

“You’ve gotten taller.” Itachi said in the same eerie voice.

“…and you’re no different. Still a cold-blooded killer.” He said, almost to remind himself. 

“Aren’t you going to scream at me? And run at me recklessly like you did that last time?” Itachi pushed.

Sasuke stared at his brother’s malicious eyes for a few moments longer in silence.

“…You have no idea who I am.”

The gravity of the words felt heavy even coming from his own mouth. Itachi had never gotten the chance to get to know him as he was now, not that he deserved to.

_This is for the sake of my clan..._

He acted swiftly and in an instant was behind his brother with his Chidori sword outstretched. It impaled his brother from behind causing his figure to be pushed toward the ceiling.

“You don’t know what I’ve been through or the hell that you put me through. You don’t know the ugly existence that you have cursed me with. I’ve thrived on my hatred for you and it has made me strong. You know nothing!”

His voice shook as he created shards from his Chidori sword explode throughout Itachi’s body. Blood flew wildly throughout the corridor. Itachi collapsed on the ground. Coagulated clumps of bloodied flesh began to drip from his mouth.

“You’ve gotten so strong little brother…”

Sasuke was shocked that he was even still speaking. The eerie tone had not changed to one that sounded much more serious.

“Come to the upper tier of the Uchiha Hideout alone. We will end this there.”

A hundred crows filled the corridor all at once, cawing as they escaped to the dark corners of the room. It had been only a projection of his brother's figure. Another genjutsu. However, it was only a matter of time now. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sasuke watched the branches fly above and below them as they raced toward the Uchiha Hideout. Memories of his brother were replaying in his mind like a broken cinema with only images and segments of the happiness he once knew. It was intertwined with the trauma his brother had so willingly caused him. 

“Sasuke… there’s several people with identical chakra all around us. The hell is going on?” Karin interrupted his thoughts.

_…Naruto… damn it._

“We keep going straight ahead.”

After a few more minutes of traveling time, one of Naruto’s clones dropped directly in front of them. Their eyes met again for a split second before Sasuke used his Chidori to destroy the clone. He knew Naruto would know where they were now. 

“What the fuck was that?” Karin asked.

“That was Naruto… He never gives up.”

Sasuke swallowed as the reality of Naruto chasing him for the rest of his life lingered in the back of his mind. It has been five years and he could not understand why he was still trying. He wished he would just give up. The incessant attempts only made it more difficult to do what he had to. Not to mention, he had already resolved to never go _home_ again.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The Uchiha Hideout towered over the forest on a tiered mountain. It had been expertly manufactured by Sasuke’s ancestors. It had a dark, radiating aura to it. It was heavy like a weighted blanket.

They ran across a rooftop of one of the surrounding barracks, but they were stopped by Kisame’s massive presence.

“Sasuke, Itachi only wants you up there. The rest of you have to stay put.” Kisame said casually.

“Fine by me. It works out perfectly, actually.” He said calmly.

He had been hoping to find a place to ditch his team soon. They had fulfilled their purpose and now he would fulfill his.Everything was almost over. 

“Sasuke, that’s insane! We should try to fight Itachi together.” Karin protested.

“Shut up Karin!” Sasuke snapped. “This is my fight.”

It was the first time he had ever raised his voice at her or anyone else on his team. She stared at him, stunned. He briskly jumped past Kisame and headed for the tower. He fought his racing heart and mind. He would need to be calm for this.

 _Just shove it away for now. Push it down._

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Time was quickly running out for Naruto. He gritted his teeth as they flew through the trees. 

_If he kills Itachi…it's going to devastate him... and who knows what he will do afterward. I have to try to stop him._

Their path was blocked yet again by the Akatsuki. Naruto felt his frustration grow.

“GET THE FUCK OUT OF THE WAY!” He screamed. He flew at the masked figure from behind. He erroneously continued to attack the strange man, but every single attack was evaded.

The figure mocked Naruto’s team which further infuriated all of them.

_Damn it! He won’t let us pass. What the hell is he?_

His evasive tactics didn’t make any sense to anyone. Naruto was beyond frustrated. The day was not going in his favor, but he could not give up. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The dark and tattered room had an evil presence emulating from it. It had been cursed from the blood bonds of two brothers destined to end in turmoil. Sitting at the throne where various other Uchiha’s had sat there demanding orders for war, was Itachi. He was comfortable enough to lean back and cross his legs.

_This is my time._

“What do you see with those eyes of yours, Sasuke?” He asked as he noticed his brother’s energy enter the room.

All he could see was a blur.

“What do I see?” He asked, a bit put off by his brother’s question. “What I see… is you dead.”

He approached his brother so that he was facing him about 15 feet from the throne he sat on.

“You see me dead? Well, let’s see how good your eyesight is.” Itachi said, egging him on to attack.

The two began their death match with rapid movements too quick for the normal eye to see. Itachi nearly cut Sasuke using his kunai but was blocked by Sasuke’s sword. Sasuke swung at Itachi. Itachi appeared behind him and threw him by the fabric on his clothing. Sasuke landed on his feet and activated his Chidori, sending the electric current through the ground to Itachi. Itachi leapt in the air which gave Sasuke the opening he was looking for to plummet his sword into Itachi’s gut. They both collided with the ground. Sasuke held his sword firmly to pin Itachi to the ground. Itachi looked up at him and could make out the general shape of his little brother.

“You’ve gotten so much stronger…” He said calmly.

“This is the end, Itachi, but before I do it, I have one question for you.”

Sasuke’s voice emulated the anger that was pulsing through his veins. Itachi stayed silent and reached out his hand in the direction of Sasuke’s face. Sasuke instinctually pulled back before he noticed that Itachi was pointing back at the throne. Sasuke glanced back and saw his brother sitting right where he had been, legs still crossed.

_Genjutsu._

“What is it that you would like to know Sasuke? This isn’t the end yet, but I am here to listen.” Itachi said calmly.

This struck a nerve with Sasuke.

_Here to listen my ass._

“Have you gone deaf too?” He asked coldly.

Only seconds later he appeared behind Itachi and sunk his sword through the back of the throne and through Itachi’s body. He could no longer control the anger surging from within him.

“I said…. This is the end… you murderous, traitorous motherfucker!” 

“You avoided striking a vital point…” 

“I… need to know… if you were alone when you killed the clan.” He said shakily. 

“Uchiha Madara, our clans’ founder.”

“DON’T FUCK WITH ME!” Sasuke jammed his sword further into his brother’s body. “Tell me the truth!”

“It is the truth.”

Itachi would not give Sasuke any reason to go after Madara. If he did, he would surely die.

“LIAR!” He screamed at his brother.

He suddenly saw a glimmer of it. The smallest discrepancy gave it away.

_Genjutsu again._

He turned and attacked behind him.

“I can see right through your bull-shit genjutsu!”

“You’re angry again just like that time… only this time your attacks mean something.”

The two had not actually moved from their original positions and had been fighting entirely with genjutsu. A feat only possible with two Sharingan users. Itachi finally stood from the throne.

“Are you ready to stop fucking around!?” Sasuke snarled. 

His mind was burning with the thought of revenge for the horrors that happened to him. He was so close.

“The story of Uchiha Madara… Do you know it? His little brother and he had the Mangekyo Sharingan. The first of our clan…” Itachi started.

“What’s your point?”

“The price of such a Sharingan… is blindness. The more you use it, the more the darkness takes over. Madara fell subject to this terror. He did everything he could to free himself from the darkness but he was unsuccessful. His little brother looked after him each day… Madara could no longer live with himself being in the dark. There was one thing he hadn’t done to gain his eyes back…” Itachi paused for a few moments and looked at the hazy form of his younger brother. “…He plucked his little brother’s eyes out and selfishly took them for his own.”

Sasuke blinked, horrified by the story and suddenly very aware of his own eyes.

_Is he going to try to…_

“…The eyes gave him immeasurable power. Shortly after, he established what you know as Konoha with the leader of the Senju clan. Madara pushed for strict rules and regulations of how the city should be run and was a harsh authoritarian. He had facilities built to _correct_ anyone who fell out of line. The leader of the Senju clan, now the first Hokage, did not agree with all of Madara’s practices. Compromises were made, but Madara did not settle for anything less than absolution. When the first Hokage defeated him, he formed the Akatsuki as an outsider. He vowed to destroy Konoha, but the nine-tails attack he incited failed.”

Pure horror had now taken hold of Sasuke as the memories of the facility flooded back into his mind paired with a newfound terror of his older brother. He had told himself he would not be afraid, but the uncontrollable fear nearly paralyzed him.

“… and Sasuke… the only person… who is capable of surpassing Madara and living out his will… is _me_.” He looked at his brother with a sinister and unnerving grin. “GIVE ME YOUR EYES! ALLOW ME TO SEE AGAIN!”

Itachi’s entire demeanor changed to that of terrifying aggression toward his young sibling who stepped back instinctually. He was unexpectedly terrified. None of his training had prepared him for this. 

“IT’S GONE ON FOR DECADES. UCHIHA’S KILLING EACHOTHER FOR EACHOTHER’S EYES!”

A sickly red demon’s arm quickly wrapped itself around Sasuke’s body. A gnarled hand with sharp claws pushed its way up toward Sasuke’s face. He tried to squirm and get away, but it was no use.

“OUR CLAN HAS BEEN FOREVER TAINTED, SASUKE. THEIR POWER DESTROYED THEM!”

The claw got closer to Sasuke’s eye as he strained to look away.

_There’s that glimmer._

He was able to finally break the horrible genjutsu his brother was using on him. 

“…You and I… are each other’s spare. That is the only reason we exist as brothers.” Itachi said gravely.

“…This finally ends here. No more. ...and Itachi… when I kill you, your eyes will rot in the ground with the rest of you.” 

He was trying desperately to hold on to reality. His brother was an incredible shinobi. He would need to be more cautious moving forward.

“You said you see my death. Those eyes of yours are too weak to truly see. My Mangekyo will always be more powerful.” Itachi said adamantly.

“I don’t need those eyes to defeat you. My hatred will drive me.”

Sasuke activated the seals on his wrists that Orochimaru had placed there himself and sent thousands of shuriken hurling in Itachi’s direction. Itachi expertly dodged and countered with his own kunai attacks which forced Sasuke to block using the enormous snake that had been embedded in his body. It emerged directly from his curse mark and wrapped it’s white, scaly skin around Sasuke’s body. The snake quickly unraveled and slithered away to reveal Sasuke’s enormous shadow shuriken which he sent hurling full speed. Before he could react, Itachi came back with a brutal kick to Sasuke’s stomach sending him crashing into the wall. Itachi was almost instantly inches from him with his foot on top of Sasuke’s and his punch landing hard on Sasuke’s stomach causing him to cough up blood. He held his little brother against the wall while tightly gripping his arms to hold him still.

“Forgive me… Sasuke.” Itachi said lowly.

Sasuke began to panic as Itachi’s fingers slowly raised to his eye. He couldn’t move. Even though Itachi was holding both of his arms with one hand, and his weight almost matched his own on top of his feet, he could not move. He tried to jerk his head away but Itachi had too strong of a grip. He felt his brother’s fingertips push up against his eyelid followed by intense blinding pain as they burrowed behind his eye socket. He screamed at the top of his lungs which made his voice reverberate and echo throughout the hideout. He felt the warm blood gush down the left side of face as he continued to cry out in agony.

_I can’t see… I can’t fucking see._

Itachi suddenly released one of his arms. He instinctively brought his hand to his face as he groaned from the pain. He pulled it back quickly when he felt the bloodied hole in his face where his eye had been. He looked down at his hand with his other eye and saw it was covered in blood. He fought unconsciousness as he stared at the dripping blood. He held on relentlessly and activated his curse mark as Itachi was about to go for his other eye. He finally had the strength to throw his sadistic sibling off of him using his cursed wing. He breathed heavily as he watched Itachi drop his bloodied eyeball into a vile.

“This is our difference in strength.” Itachi whispered, suddenly behind him, restraining him yet again.

Sasuke activated his curse completely and let it flow through his body.

_It’s genjutsu… break it. BREAK IT! NOW!_

Itachi’s fingers came close to his other eye but before they could, he finally broke the powerful genjutsu Itachi had placed on him. He came to and touched his eye immediately and realized it was still intact.

_That's a fucking relief, but we're not done._

Breaking the jutsu took a huge toll on his body and caused him to collapse on the dusty ground.

Itachi let out an agonized sound of pain and grabbed his own eye. It had been many years since someone had been able to break his deadly Tsukuyomi. Sasuke composed himself and stood up, glad to see his brother struggling from the attack.

“The Sharingan is just a weapon. Its user is what determines a winner.” He said confidently.

For the first time during the fight, he knew he had a good chance of winning. Itachi was clearly getting closer to his limit. Upon seeing his brother try to do another hand sign, he sent his giant shadow shuriken flying again which forced his brother to dodge in between the two spinning blades. He evaded the attack successfully, but did not have enough time to move when Sasuke pulled them back using the string that had been attached to them. He landed a heavy blow to Itachi’s leg. The blade protruded from his calf and blood gushed to the floor.

Itachi tried to look at his younger brother but could not focus. He squinted his eyes, desperately trying to have at least some reference of sight.

“Does it feel good? The effects of Tsukuyomi?” Sasuke said sadistically.

He blew an enormous ball of fire toward Itachi who countered with his own flames. As soon as the flames cleared, Sasuke was flying toward his brother again with a massive Chidori. The impact blew a hole in the ceiling of the hideout. He flew through to the top of the roof where Itachi followed after evading the relentless attack yet again. Itachi countered with another brutal fireball which forced Sasuke to use his cursed wing to cover. The two simultaneously threw massive balls of flames toward eachother. The flames from Itachi gradually turned black as he activated his Amertarasu. His right eye began to bleed from the strain he had put on his eye. The black flames began to engulf Sasuke’s orange flames and ferociously followed him until it caught his wing and engulfed his body leaving a charred corpse on the roof.

Itachi approached the dead body cautiously and was intercepted by younger brother. He had previously slipped below into a hole in the ground he had created using another Chidori blast. The snake-like substitution jutsu Orochimaru had taught him had proven to be useful, albeit thoroughly disgusting.

From below, Sasuke activated his curse mark again and sent several fiery dragons upward through the ceiling which opened up the room he was standing in below completely. Itachi dodged the flames with ease despite his bleeding eye and heavy breathing due to overexertion. Sasuke was also nearing the end of his rope. He was out of chakra.

“This will be my final jutsu.” He said as he looked up at Itachi from the floor below.

“Don’t try to fool me. I can see your chakra is gone.”

Itachi was breathing heavily and the blood still flowed from his eye.

“I won’t need my own…” Sasuke said through his own struggle for breath. “It’s time for you to die now.”

The clouds began to rumble and followed by lightning in the sky. Sasuke had created a storm using the intensely hot fireballs he had thrown in the air before. His intention had never been to aim at Itachi. The rain began to pour on both of them.

“Now all I have to do… is guide this storm through your skull.” He said as he jumped to the highest point at the hideout. “I call it… Kirin.”

He harnessed the energy of the clouds and formed a terrifyingly enormous electric dragon, ready to do his bidding.

“Disappear with the thunder.”

The words were barely audible. The only one who could hear them was him through the loud downpour and crash of the newly formed storm around him. The impact caused the upper level of the hideout to nearly disintegrate completely. Shrapnel, rubble, and pieces of the remaining hideout came crashing down once the aftermath of the attack had settled. Sasuke huffed, now completely drained. He dropped down to the rubble and saw Itachi face down. His Akatsuki cloak had been blown completely off.

_Is it… over?_

He stared at his brothers’ figure for several seconds. He was afraid to go check. His brother's voice startled him. 

“…Is this what you saw… in the vision of my death?”

Itachi began to rise from his position like an undead monster that refused to give in to death. Sasuke looked on with the familiar paralyzing fear creeping back up. He was completely out of options now. He struggled to activate his curse in preparation for his brother’s approach. Itachi had partially blocked Sasuke’s attack using a specialized jutsu, Susano which resembled a gigantic chakra filled skeleton.

“GOD DAMN YOU JUST DIE!!!” Sasuke screamed at his brother, fighting the urge to cry from the emotional toll topped with intense exhaustion.

“Sasuke… you’ve become very strong.” Itachi said as he slowly made his way toward his younger sibling.

The rain continued to pour but the storm had moved on. Orochimaru's raspy voice intrusively made its way through Sasuke’s mind.

_I can give you my power._

_No. Absolutely not._

He could feel Orochimaru pushing to be let out anyway. His shoulder where his curse mark began to wildly bubble before several white snakes shot out of Sasuke’s body and towered over Itachi. The disgusting feeling was so intense that drool dripped out of Sasuke’s mouth as he struggled not to vomit. Itachi severed most of the heads using Susano. One of the heads opened it’s mouth to reveal the decreped part of Orochimaru that had been trapped inside Sasuke’s body.

“Now that I’m free, I will finally be able to take Sasuke’s body for my own.” Orochimaru sneered as he lunged at Itachi.

Susano cut directly through Orochimaru using his sword of Totsuka. It absorbed its victim’s life into an eternal purgatory. It took all that was left of Orochimaru including any piece that had been inside of the younger Uchiha. Itachi's face showed immense relief upon seeing it expulsed from his only family's body. 

“End of the line, Sasuke.” Itachi said seriously. “I’m going to savor taking your eyes from you…”

His words did not match his actions when he bent over coughing up droplets of blood. 

Sasuke’s curse mark receded involuntarily. With Orochimaru gone, the toll of his lack of sleep, physical exhaustion, and emotional trauma was hitting him hard. He breathed heavily but was unable to get up as he watched his brother come closer. Itachi took a few steps before clutching his chest. Bloody vomit spewed through his hand as he covered his mouth. He toppled over for a moment and Susano went back to the world from which it came. Itachi slowly rose and took another few steps toward Sasuke who’s eyes were now peeled with pure terror. 

“FUCK YOU! DON’T COME ANY CLOSER!” He screamed as he hurled kunai and shuriken wildly at his brother who blocked them again easily.

He pulled his sword out and tried to attack Itachi head on but Itachi slammed him up against a large portion of the wall that had collapsed, causing Sasuke's breath to be knocked out of him. He coughed violently as Itachi approached and tried to get up only to fall back down hard on his ass. He used his arms to try to scoot away, but he was cornered by gigantic slabs of conrete. Itachi raised a finger toward Sasuke’s face and all Sasuke could do was stare in horror, now paralyzed completely by his fear. He was certain he would die that day. Then, Itachi said something which confused him. The words would later haunt his dreams and his conscience. 

"I'm so sorry it ended like this, Sasuke. Please forgive me."

The bloodied touch to his forehead followed by Itachi’s finger trailing down his face as he collapsed left Sasuke in traumatized shock. The rain came down hard on his face. He heard the thud of a lifeless body. His brother’s corpse was lying still on the ground next to him. After several minutes of sitting silently in the rain, he willed himself to check for a pulse. Upon realizing that there was not one, and there there would never be one again, the tears began to flow. He began to sob and panic hysterically as he struggled to catch his breath. He let out an unsettling bellowing scream which sounded more like a dying animal than human. His panic, immense exhaustion and lack of oxygen caused his world to darken around him. He collapsed unconscious next to what was left of what he knew to be his only family. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music - The In-Between by In This Moment  
> Falling Leaves by Clare Maguire


	37. The Mangekyou of Love

After several failed attacks toward the mysterious Akatsuki member, Naruto's team was beginning to feel frustrated. Nothing they tried seemed to do any kind of damage. Several minutes had gone by with no result and yet, when they tried to pass the cloaked man, he would block their moves with ease. It was a complete stand still until Zetsu, who could only be likened to a human carnivorous plant, appeared next to the illusive ninja and began to speak. They watched and listened intently as their enemies conversed.

“So, how’d it go?” Tobi asked.

“It’s over. Sasuke killed Itachi... amazingly.”

“HEY! Spikey aloe guy! Where is he now!?” Naruto demanded with his finger protruding toward the new enemy. The words offended Zetsu greatly. 

“Aloe!?”

Kakashi studied the two with his Sharingan eye and noticed a flicker through the singular hole in the orange mask the mysterious one wore. His hair stood on end as the familiar Sharingan glow flashed back toward him. At first, he thought he may have been hallucinating by some sort of genjutsu, but it was still the iconic Sharingan glow when he blinked hard and looked again. 

_Who the hell is he!?_

“That’s a … Sharingan.” Kakashi’s voice sounded nervous.

“W-what!?” Sakura asked, not sure if she heard him right. 

The words took a few moments to process, but when they did, she swung her head back over to the two and saw exactly what Kakashi was talking about. She felt the adrenaline start to take over. The idea that there may be _another_ living Uchiha seemed not only incredibly suspicious, but potentially horrifically dangerous. 

Zetsu and Tobi disappeared without further comment. They had said enough.

“Let’s go. We have to try to find him before they do.” Kakashi said urgently. He jumped to the tops of the trees and saw a cloudy area hovering in the East.

“This way!”

He pointed toward where he could see the black flames burning in the distance. It would have been invisible to a non-Sharingan user and would take them some time to arrive.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Tobi debated on killing the younger and unconscious Uchiha as he stood over him. Zetsu watched with only half his face emerged from one of the pieces of gravel. 

“Did you record everything?” Tobi asked in a serious voice.

“Relax. Of course, I did.” Zetsu replied.

“We’re taking Itachi’s corpse too.” Tobi said coldly.

They took the brothers back to the Akatsuki hideout in the East.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sasuke awoke slowly, although, he was not sure he was alive. It felt like his soul had left his body and his mind was only an organ. His thoughts were not forming properly. Everything hurt and a dull and harrowing ache sat in the back of his throat, wrists and chest. He was not crying, or rather, he was making no noise, but tears still streamed down his face. It was a type of numb sadness that he had felt before only on his darkest of nights. Feeling it again hurt no less, but he knew what to expect, making it somehow easier to accept his newfound trauma. It was just another story to add to the catalogue. 

He opened his eyes to see that he was alone in the corner of a quiet and dark room. The only light source was an old fashioned torch attached to the nearby stone wall. The room was filled with pillars for training of some kind. Someone had taken him there and treated his wounds. At that point, he did not care who it was who had done so. If he was not dead, he hoped whoever it was would kill him. 

“I gave you some first aid.” The ominous voice came from the shadows. Sasuke slowly sat up and looked to see nothing. The voice continued to speak.

“You won.”

Sasuke grimaced. 

_...This doesn’t feel like winning._

“It was very close though. You have some serious injuries. You should be more careful with your life.” The voice continued.

Sasuke did not respond again, rather, he hung his head low and stared at his hands in his lap. 

_My life is not one to be protected._

The figure stepped into the light revealing the orange masked ninja he had met during his fight with Deidara.

“Don’t worry. I’m not your enemy this time. I brought you here to tell you something important.”

No response. He did not care what this man or anyone had to say to him. His life was already over. 

“My name is Uchiha Madara…It has to do with itachi.”

The name caused Sasuke to wince.

_The clan head? Impossible._

“He was only trying to protect you.” Madara said.

The words screeched in Sasuke’s mind like a razor blade to chalk board. It triggered a slew of emotions that broke the surface of his demeanor almost instantly. He had no control. 

“Protect me? Is this supposed to be some kind of cruel joke?”

“I’m not. I know Itachi. He’s been imbuing his powers into you this entire time. He risked his life to protect you and the shinobi world. You need to know about his life so please, ask me what you will. I’m the only one who knows the whole truth about him.” Madara continued.

Sasuke gripped the blankets on his lap tightly as he fought back the urge to scream or sob. He was not entirely sure which. 

_Shut up. Shut up. No… he’s lying._

“All you have to do is listen….”

Madara explained that the only ones who knew about the sickening secret about his brother were the 3rd Hokage and his counselors, Homora, Koharu, and Danzou. 

“…Think about Itachi. What do you really remember about him about your loving older brother?”

“H-he tried to kill me… and take my e-eyes.” Sasuke said shakily.

He began to feel the terrible and familiar panic creep up and take control. His hands began to feel numb again and he began to struggle to breathe. Madara aggressively walked over and roughly grabbed Sasuke’s face and saw the tears forming.

“Get a hold of yourself.” Madara snarled into his ear.

“Get off of me!”

Sasuke swatted at Madara’s hand but was quickly sent back into unconsciousness. When he came to, he was tied to a post on the wall.

“I took the liberty of tying you up. I figured you wouldn’t listen unless I did.”

“Itachi… was my enemy.” Sasuke spoke drearily. “He killed my family...my entire clan. I have every reason to hate him.”

“All orders from the top Leaf ninja.” Madara said seriously.

Sasuke stared at him in shock, but quickly settled back into reason. He would not believe it without evidence.

“I’m not falling for this…” 

“You don’t have to believe me. Just listen.” Madara said calmly, although he was losing patience.

“…The Leaf had used Itachi as a sacrifice, the latest in a long line of cursed ninja. Over 80 years ago in a time of unrelenting violence and bloodshed, nations clashed over land and the right of their people. It was when individual clans did not convene and fought for the highest bidder. Only two of those clans were feared the most. Those of the Uchiha and the Senju Clan of the Forest from which the first Hokage came. The Uchiha were so gifted that they were considered an army. I had been born with a special kind of chakra, stronger than the clan had ever seen before. I had exhausted my resources trying to obtain as much power as possible including stealing the eyes of my brother. Not long after I had become the leader of my clan with the Mangekyo Sharingan. I craved the power I had obtained and wanted more. The fight with the 1st Hokage was inevitable.”

“You fucking did it to be famous?” Sasuke said with a weak, but angry voice. 

“No. I did it to protect them. With our fame came more challengers, each stronger than the last. My brother agreed to give up his own eyes. Not long after that, a truce was requested from the Senju Clan and the Uchiha agreed. I did not. There would have been no point to my brother’s sacrifice, but the rest of the clan wanted peace, so I went with their decision. Soon after the alliance, the Land of Fire requested assistance with controlling its land which started us with having one village per country. The peace was ruined after what happened…”

"...What happened?” Sasuke asked. 

He was irritated that Madara had paused. 

“There was a dispute over who would be Hokage. They told me that I was greedy and just wanted power which is why I took my brother’s own eyes. I just wanted to protect my clan! That’s it!”

Sasuke furrowed his brows and stared at the masked man.

 _I don’t believe you._

“I left the village. They had brutally betrayed me, and I almost had my revenge using the Kyuubi. They assumed that I had died that day and in a way I did. The 2nd Hokage wanted to make sure that there was no possibility for another Uchiha like me to challenge them for the title of Hokage which is why he established the Anbu to separate the Uchiha from the Hokage. Regardless of the lack of incidents, the Leaf became fearful and jealous of the Uchiha clan’s powers and plotted against them. The mistreatment and discrimination against the Uchiha’s brought ill-will and eventually there really was a plot against the 2nd Hokage so the leaders of Konoha created an Uchiha spy… that spy being your brother. That is where Itachi’s hell begun.”

Sasuke’s lips parted as his shallow breaths slowed down seemingly with time. Madara continued, knowing full-well he finally had his attention. 

“Your father was the ringleader of the coup d’etat and he forced Itachi to join the Black Ops thinking he would be a spy for the Uchiha village, but he was a double agent and informed Konoha of the Uchiha’s plans instead.”

“Why!? Why would he betray our clan like that!?” Sasuke screamed at him.

He desperately hoped for none of it to be true. 

“He wanted peace. All he had seen was war in all its ugliness. He loved Konoha and Konoha gave him the mission of an eye for eye. He was ordered to kill his entire clan to stop another war from beginning. He was forced to make a terrible choice because of the Uchiha clan’s self-interest.”

Madara paused.

“What would you have done if you were Itachi?”

At such a young age... and having seen the horrors of war, he realized he may have made the same choice. 

_No.. no no no…_

“He fulfilled his mission, but not completely. He failed to kill you, Sasuke. He pleaded with the Hokage to protect you. He was incredibly worried about you. He begged the Hokage not to tell you the truth and he incited hatred in you to make you strong.”

“Lies… all lies…” Sasuke said, trying to fight his swelling panic. “…He was a war criminal… he was in the Akatsuki…”

“Again, to protect you from the inside of that organization… and to protect Konoha.”

“STOP FUCKING LYING TO ME!” Sasuke screamed the words.

He was desperately trying to make himself not believe what he had just heard. It was only words with no evidence. The tears on his cheeks showed that Madara's words rang true to him. 

“Then why are you still alive now?” Madara asked coyly. “He cried tears of blood as he murdered his family and his friends… to him, you were more important than Konoha. He wanted you to be that hero for the village. He wanted to die a traitor as to accept dishonor in payment for your honor and hatred in repayment for love for you.”

Sasuke glared at him.

_Itachi wanted you dead…_

“Show me your face… prove to me that you are an Uchiha!” He said. 

He just needed to see him, to confirm the truth.

“Very well. You’ve earned at least this much.”

The mask from Madara’s face slowly came off and he saw Uchiha Madara’s Sharingan for a brief moment before a white-hot surge of pain exploded from his eye followed by the desperate screams from Madara. He clutched his face as the mask melted into the ground instantly. Sasuke screamed and hunched over. He felt a warm liquid dripping from his eye and struggled for several minutes before he managed to escape his bindings. He put his hand to his face and panicked upon seeing blood on his hand when he pulled away. The panic only vaguely faded when he was able to feel that his eye was still in tact. He blinked several times and his blurry vision slowly returned to him and the pain receded slowly. 

Another, more pressing issue made itself known to him by the increasing heat radiating from the black flames Itachi had used to fight him earlier. They were difficult to see in the darkness, but based on how quickly it was getting uncomfortably hot in the room, he guessed it had already been mostly engulfed.

_Amaterasu!? What the fuck did Itachi do to me!?_

He struggled to raise himself up off the ground and coughed from the toxic smoke that was quickly filling the area. He pushed himself along the wall of the structure until he located an entrance. He flung open the door and ran in his tattered battle worn clothing into the dark, moonless night. He ran with no direction and no purpose. There was no where he could be and nothing he could do. He could never return to Konoha after what he just learned...if it were even remotely true. Once miles away from the hideout, his battle ridden body could not take any more. He collapsed unconscious in the forest alone in cold early morning. Itachi had entrusted one of his most powerful weapons to his little brother in his final moments. It had been the only Mangekyou Sharingan to be born purely motivated by love.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The broken remains of Itachi and Sasuke's fight haunted Team 7. They recalled their first day as a team where Sasuke had so adamantly announced that _this_ had been his plan. It was no surprise to them, but it still shook them to see it come to fruition. Naruto silently branched off from his team and began to inspect the scene. He picked up a ripped portion of Sasuke's shirt among spatters of blood. He held it carefully as if it was a precious stone. He had gotten so close, but now, there was no sign of where he had gone. Even Akamaru's incredibly sensitive nose had lost any kind of scent of him.

As he stared at the small remnant of his best friend, he thought about the effort he had made to get him back. It had been so many years. Giving up on him now would mean giving up on his dreams. He felt the despair creep up on him as he stared at the broken and chipped Uchiha crest presented on the last part of the wall that was standing. He put his hands on the crest and he couldn’t help the tears from falling. He had failed Sasuke again and the loss of Jiraiya was finally hitting him. He felt his soul slip into a darkness that it had never plunged to before. He would not give up, but that day changed him. He accepted that Sasuke may never come home with him, but he would have to try, not for himself, but for Sakura and Kakashi. He made a promise. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music - Ghosts by Nine Inch Nails


	38. A Horrific Way Out

After thinking about it solidly for a day, Naruto realized that despite Sasuke's continuous adverse actions, that he still had an overwhelming desire to reconnect with him. There were so many things he wanted to ask him and he wanted to know everything about anything he had to say. He was feeling desperate to bring him back again and desperately craved the original connection they had so long ago. He had a terrible and daunting feeling that Sasuke needed his help _now_. He had that feeling since the beginning, sure, but this time it felt like he would explode if he didn’t go out and find him right then. He shifted his weight back and forth as he stood in front of the Hokage. 

“Absolutely not.” Tsunade affirmed. “You guys just came back and not to mention, the Akatsuki has him. These guys are no joke, Naruto. We need to proceed with extreme caution.”

“Exactly. HE’S IN DANGER! I need to go back out there. Please, please just let me try!” He protested.

“I can’t do that Naruto.” Tsunade relented.

She felt guilty for telling him no, but to go after the Akatsuki alone would be suicide just as it had been for Jiraiya.

“I just need to make sure he’s alive. That’s it. I just need to know that his scent is still out there.” 

In the last day, he resolved that he would never stop trying. He just needed to try harder. He got down on his hands and knees and bowed his head low, willing to do _anything_.

“Please…” 

Tsunade observed him in silence for a few moments. 

“Get up.” Tsunade said, unable to say no to such a pitiful display. “It will be a scouting mission _only._ Do not engage in combat with the Akatsuki at whatever cost… and you will need a team. Kakashi and Sakura should be able to accompany you… and Naruto… in the off chance that you do run into the Akatsuki, you run. Do not, under any circumstances, go after them.” Tsunade warned, hopeful that she would not be sending him to his death.

_You are resilient, though._

Naruto’s face changed to one of excitement and determination.

“Th-thank you, Grandma Tsunade!!”

“… Naruto… if you do see Sasuke, bring him this.”

She handed Naruto a scroll.

“What is this?” He asked.

“It’s something he needs to see. It’s not for your eyes or anyone else’s other than his. It may help him come home. Understand?”

She spoke seriously. He took the scroll from Tsunade and stared down at it.

“Uh.. yeah… sure.” He said, confused. “This will really help him come back?”

“It might, but there is no guarantee.” She said with a small smile.

They exchanged nods and he made his way to find Kakashi and Sakura. He debated on ignoring her and looking inside the scroll regardless, but then remembered his exams and how opening a scroll not meant for him could just mean a world of physical pain. 

_I wonder what in the world this is?_

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

A dark hooded figure stood over Sasuke’s motionless body for several seconds before checking to see if he was alive.

_You’re hanging on by a thread, I see. Let’s take you back to where you belong._

The figure picked him up and carried him several miles north and stopped in the middle of the cold and wet forest about twenty miles east of the nearest Hidden Mist village. The figure performed a special justu, revealing a hidden door leading to a series of corridors filled with prison cells. Several inmates groaned and screamed at the figures presence as he passed. At the end of the corridor was a room with medical equipment and unconventional medical tools. Sasuke was placed on a cot and hooked to the machinery around him. The figure began prepping for a procedure he had been anticipating for years. 

_Finally, the Sharingan will be mine!_

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

A loud and disturbing noise on his door broke Kakashi’s concentration as he read his Icha Icha Paradise book for the nth time. He opened the door to see Sakura and Naruto staring at him with bright expectant eyes.

_Oh jeez, what is it now?_

“KAKASHI SENSEI! Tsunade gave us a mission to locate Sasuke!” Naruto blurted immediately.

Sakura looked at Naruto worried and made a forced smile in Kakashi’s direction as if to say _please let’s just indulge him._

“…To locate him? Do we have any leads?” Kakashi asked, concerned and confused as to why Tsunade would allow such a mission.

“N-no… but… I just have this feeling. We gotta just go look and see if we can find a lead or-or-or figure something out!”

Naruto could not explain what was driving him so hard to go look for Sasuke _right now._ He just knew that he had to. Sakura looked at Kakashi and mouthed _please._

He sighed. Searching for Sasuke had become an occasional part-time Team 7 hobby that he had learned to just indulge them with. Telling them no would be too harsh. 

“Alright… let me get my things.”

The fire Naruto had initially felt the first time he had chased Sasuke had reignited. He would fight more ferociously than ever because if he didn't, then he would never get him back. He believed Sasuke would fight him back just as hard, if not harder, so he had to only give his best.

_I’m coming for you. Hang on, Sasuke._

The three headed out into the forest, essentially aimlessly looking for their missing teammate. Sakura and Kakashi mostly wanted to help Naruto settle his mind and perhaps another searching excursion would help. They did not believe that they would actually find anything considering he had disappeared with a ninja that could manipulate time and space. They searched for hours with Naruto using his shadow clones to cover the land. Kakashi had summoned Pakkun to help who at first protested bitterly until he realized the mission was more meant to indulge Naruto than anything. The sun was setting, and they were running out of day light.

“Naruto… perhaps we should take a break.” Kakashi softly suggested.

“No. We have to keep going.” Naruto said, still incredibly determined.

Kakashi looked at Sakura with worry in his one visible eye. He was not normally so adamant unless there was a reason to be. 

“…Wait.” Pakkun said suddenly with wide eyes. “… I can smell him. It’s feint, but it’s definitely him. This way.”

Pakkun adjusted his path to lean toward the right.

“I told you! He’s out here somewhere.” Naruto said excitedly as he rushed ahead.

“How the hell did he know?” Sakura asked in Kakashi's direction.

He shrugged. He supposed he just had a kind of intuition on the matter. They raced in the direction of his scent that was no longer moving.

“There’s another scent in his direction too… it seems impossible, but it smells like _Orochimaru_.” Pakkun said seriously.

“He’s alive?” Kakashi asked, shocked.

“It seems to be so... along with several other similar chakras. Likely those that Orochimaru has cursed.” Pakkun confirmed.

Naruto gritted his teeth.

“I thought the Akatsuki took him!? What’s going on?”

“All I know is what I smell. It looks like Sasuke traveled from a far away location to get to this hideout. Maybe he got away from the Akatsuki and was captured.”

“Tch… Well whatever happened, we are going to get him back.”

“Naruto… the mission is just to get information. We can’t engage.” Sakura protested. “We’re only a three-man team.”

“Tsunade said we can’t engage with the Akatsuki. She didn’t say anything about Orochimaru.” Naruto said with a smirk on his face.

He raced ahead even quicker than before.

_I’m coming, Sasuke._

Kakashi and Sakura looked at each other.

“Naruto! Wait up!” Sakura called out to him.

The four of them, including Pakkun, rushed toward the latest hideout. They were close now.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The screams of the prisoners caused Sasuke to awaken suddenly with eyes wide. For a split second, he thought he was back in Konoha. His body was weak, and he was covered in medical equipment.

_I almost died again…_

The tears almost immediately came as his next thought was of his brother.

_Is it really true? Did he really want the best for that awful place?... and for me? If so, what have I done!? Why wouldn’t he tell me the truth!?_

The despair gripped his heart alongside burning rage for what had happened to his brother. He buried his face in his hands as he wept. He could not deny that what Madara had said made sense. The more he thought about it, the more panic gripped his entire body. Another attack caused him to wheeze and shake through his tears.

_I just want to die. Let me be free of this agony._

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The remaining members of Team 7 approached the hideout which Pakkun confirmed had Sasuke’s scent strongest from inside. Kakashi could sense the prisoners’ chakra from inside, but he could not locate any resemblance of Orochimaru.

“There are people in cages.” Kakashi said calmly. “I don’t sense Orochimaru’s chakra.”

“It seems he may not be here any longer although his scent lingers throughout the prison, but that could change soon. Let’s make haste.” Pakkun warned.

The three carefully entered the hideout to be hit with the stench of unsanitary living conditions. The prisoners called out to the them, hopeful that they may be their ticket to freedom. Some yelled out in a terrible hateful rage at them, wishing to engage in any kind of battle from the rage filled chakra that had been pumped into them. Naruto looked on in horror at the victims of Orochimaru’s experiments. The long corridor eventually came to a crossroad.

“We split up here. If anything happens, don’t engage with Orochimaru on your own. Lead him back to the group and we will take him on together. Pakkun… you go with Sakura.” Kakashi whispered.

_Maybe we will succeed this time._

The three nodded and went in separate directions.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The world around Sasuke had turned to complete darkness. He had plunged to the depths of impossible waters never to see the surface again. His perception of his clan had been destroyed within a matter of days. His soul felt as if it was being twisted into thousands of pieces. Since his mind had come to the awful conclusion that Madara had been right, all he could focus on was death and his brother. He wanted to be with Itachi. He no longer wished to exist in a world where pain like this gripped his heart and those who he cared about. His dreams, his desires, were impossible. Unachievable. He had done what he had promised himself he would do his entire life and now, he regretted it immensely. He had nothing left, only despair. His breathing became shallow as he realized what he needed to do to put himself out of the misery. His eyes slowly traced the items of the room. 

A scalpel glimmered on the tool tray near the hospital bed. He stared at it blankly for several moments before finally reaching for it. 

_T_ _here’s nothing left for me now… If I were to die, then this hell would finally end._

With a shaky hand, he picked it up. He looked down at it in his hands and the tears came back as he debated on how to end his own life. Cutting the arteries in his arms would take too long, leaving time for someone else to unfortunately heal him. If he was going to die, he would do it right and do it quickly. He slowly raised the blade to his neck and let it hover just over his carotid artery. 

_It’s okay. It’s okay. It’ll be over soon. I'll be able to rest now. I need to just do it. It will all be over soon. I’m so sorry Naruto… I’m so selfish._

In all of his darkness crashing around him, a light suddenly appeared at the door of the room. A glowing silhouette entered, causing Sasuke to freeze. The figure stared at him for several seconds, taking in the scene before him.

“Please put it down.” A familiar voice said. 

Sasuke’s exhausted psyche pushed him further to end it regardless of who the voice belonged to, however, a single thought prevented him from doing it.

_If that's really him... I can’t do this in front of him._

His shaky hand slowly loosened until the scalpel finally fell and clattered on the ground.

“I’m not going back with you. Get out or I’ll kill you.” Sasuke said with a shaky voice.

“You want to kill me, go ahead. I… I just want to talk to you. I’m not going to force you to go anywhere.” Naruto pleaded.

“What is there to talk about? You want me back there and I won’t go back! It’s a horrible place! You don’t know Konoha like I do!”

Sasuke found himself feeling like he was only arguing with his own reason. Naruto slowly approached him and removed the scroll Tsunade had given him from his pouch.

“STAY AWAY!” He screamed.

Naruto stopped in his tracks. He replied in a calm and low voice. 

“Sasuke… I know what happened to Itachi… and I know what happened to you in that ugly place.” 

“Tch. Bullshit! You have no fucking clue as usual! You never understood!” Sasuke spat angrily. The words pierced Naruto’s heart, but he did not react.

“The 5th Hokage wanted you to see this… she said it would be important for you to see it. I don’t know what it says, but she made me promise I would give it to you if I saw you.”

Naruto cautiously held out the scroll for him to take. Sasuke stared at the Leaf scroll with the Hokage seal on it for a few moments before slowly reaching out for it. Their fingertips brushed as he grabbed the scroll. He believed to be his weakness in that moment, but he wanted to throw himself into Naruto's arms to be held and touched by him again. He looked at the blonde who was staring at him with sad eyes. He turned his attention toward the scroll and carefully opened it. Reading the words caused him to grit his teeth. The achy feeling in his throat was back. 

> _To the last remaining known survivor of the Uchiha Clan, Sasuke Uchiha,_
> 
> _It is with a heavy heart that I write to you today after discovering the truths of the horrors that have been swept away by those evil people. Your clan was wrongfully destroyed by the founders who believed in the sacrifices of war to resolve the prevalent issues within our society. We have since changed this doctrine to promote peace for Konoha at all costs. The village owes you an immeasurable debt. We have started to repay this debt by permanently exiling the traitors of peace within our village including the council members which utilized your brother from a young age to eradicate the Uchiha clan. We uncovered this information after a thorough investigation of our military personnel which came to light by the efforts of Sakura Haruno, Might Guy, Kakashi Hatake, and Naruto Uzumaki. Please see the enclosed case files for each member responsible for the detriment of your clan. These people are enemies to Konoha and do not represent the feelings of the people who reside here and who have vowed to protect it. If you should have any reasonable demands of Konoha, we would be more than willing to accommodate. Should you return, you would be given immediate job security, housing, and respect from the people of Konoha. They rioted in the streets for you upon hearing the ugly truths of their corrupt leadership and wish to welcome you with open arms should you ever return._
> 
> _Lastly, you should know that we have destroyed the facilities established by Uchiha Madara. No one will ever experience the terrors of such a place in Konoha again. For the sake of your village and for the sake of Naruto, please consider returning to a place that you can safely call home._
> 
> _\- Sincerely, Tsunade Senju, the 5 th Hokage. _

Naruto watched him read the scroll. As he read it, his breathing became erratic. He suddenly crushed and threw it violently to the ground followed by a blistering scream causing Naruto to flinch.

“WHY THE FUCK DO YOU CARE SO MUCH!?”

Sasuke could feel himself losing touch with his exhausted mind. His entire reason for existence had just been obliterated and now Konoha’s Hokage was sending him an invitation to go _home_. Angry tears began to form at the corners of his eyes. 

_As if I could ever consider a place like that home._

“B-because… I…” Naruto timidly started. 

“I betrayed the village… I cursed the name of Konoha for years… I left you… so why… why the HELL do you care!? I don’t want to go back to that evil place!”

“Sasuke… If you don’t want to go back… I understand… but if you decide to stay away… I… I want to go with you.”

He decided he would do whatever it took to save Sasuke from the hell he was in, even if it meant breaking his promise. Sasuke stared at him, mouth agape. 

“You’re more important to me than Konoha… and you should know… Itachi made me promise to protect you.” He continued. 

Sasuke could not find his words. He shook his head no in disbelief and incredible apprehension. He never considered that Naruto would go as far as to betray the village for him. For a second, he imagined a life together with him as he once had years ago. 

Even through his tears, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a shadow in the dark with malicious intent. A sharp sword was sent hurling in Naruto’s direction. Sasuke, not thinking about his actions, jumped from the bed and tackled him with milliseconds to spare. The blade penetrated Sasuke's body through his left lung and shattered a vertebra causing him to immediately begin to wheeze and cough up blood.

“SASUKE!!” Naruto screamed.

Kabuto appeared behind him with his paralyzing jutsu ready in full force.

“Too late.”

Kabuto used the technique to knock Naruto unconscious. He picked up the sword and went to plunge it directly into Naruto’s heart but was stopped by a searing pain in his back. The black flames engulfed him as he screamed wildly followed by his blood boiling so hot that it caused his physical body to explode. Blood and innards flew across the room. The flames greedily attacked the remaining pieces of flesh which had melted into piles on the ground. Sasuke wheezed in between his groans from the burning pain in his bleeding eye. He had used Amaterasu for the second time.

_Why do I still save you? Why does it matter? What is this damn feeling again?_

His last thought before falling conscious on the ground was of Naruto’s words.

_"You’re more important to me than Konoha."_

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Kakashi ran through the corridors with no luck after several prison cells.

 _There's two... No, three_ _notable chakras_. _Shit, we have company._

He passed by another crossroad only to almost be hit by the flailing arm of Juugo who had completely lost himself over to the curse.

_His chakra is incredible._

If it weren’t for Kakashi’s lightning speed movements, he would have been dead.

“WHERE’S SASUKE!?” The man screamed before lunging at Kakashi again.

His hugely cursed and pointed arm swung and nearly hit Kakashi. He before wildly ran toward the copy cat ninja who dodged with ease again. Kakashi expertly used his Sharingan to suppress Orochimaru's chakra from the man like he had done with Sasuke so many years prior. He was surprised to see that it worked and Juugo’s demeanor suddenly changed. Upon seeing the a Leaf ninja wielding the Sharingan, the fear crept up on his face and he ran. Kakashi tried to follow but was stopped by Suigetsu who swung his sword directly at Kakashi’s head with expert speed.

"Too slow!” Suigetsu laughed.

He landed in front of Kakashi who had immediately attacked using a kunai.

_Got him._

He was surprised to find Suigetsu's skin felt suspiciously liquid. A splash of water landed on the ground following the attack. Kakashi readied his Chidori which wiped the smile off Suigetsu's face. Thankfully for him, the warning emergency alarm suddenly went off loudly.

“Byeeee!” Suigetsu said as he melted into a puddle and disappeared into the cracks of the prison.

Kakashi allowed his Chidori to calm and cursed under his breath. 

_Fuck. I have to find the others_.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sakura ran briskly through the corridors. Her sharp eyes checked each corner and dark place before she came to a room filled with electrical wiring and stored medical equipment.

_Nothing here._

“Not so fast, bitch.”

Karin emerged from the shadows. Sakura swiveled around to see her standing behind her. She was cornered, but was not afraid to fight. 

_How did I not sense her chakra!?_

“Who are you?” Sakura said seriously.

“I’m Sasuke’s girlfriend and we’re here to rescue him.” Karin said with a smirk on her face.

Sakura stared at her angrily, thinking her enemy's claim to most likely be false. 

“You sure about that?” Sakura said confidently.

The confidence threw Karin off. 

“M-MIND YOUR BUSINESS CUNT! Anyway, you’re about to have a bigger problem.”

Karin smiled with an evil smile as she placed her hand on a red lever which had explicit words above it _PULL FOR EMERGENCY._

“What does that do?” Sakura said nervously.

“You’ll see!” Karin said in a cutesy voice that made Sakura visibly cringe.

Karin pushed the switch down and an alarm echoed throughout the prison followed by each prisoner door opening, freeing all of the cursed prisoners. Some of them were grateful and some ran through the halls with murderous intent.

“That’s my queue to leave!”

She used a transportation jutsu and disappeared from Sakura’s presence.

 _Shit!_

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Juugo entered the room and looked down in horror at the nearly deceased Sasuke. He was nearly going to be engulfed by the black flames that burned relentlessly in the room. He ran to pick him up and carefully slung him over his shoulder. He looked back at the unconscious blonde and debated on leaving him there, but decided to push the hospital bed in front of him a layer of protection from the flame. He destroyed the ceiling of the room to create a speedy exit and leapt through the opening.

As instructed, he threw several foul-smelling smoke bombs all around the facility and headed directly for the river where he met with Karin and Suigetsu. Suigetsu used his power to create an air bubble for the four of them with several holes at the top for air. It would hide their scent as they traveled up the river.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sharp slaps to the face caused Naruto to come to. His disorientation only lasted a moment.

“Where’s Sasuke!?” He yelled upon gaining consciousness, looking around the room.

He saw the blood on the ground, but Sasuke was missing. A haunting feeling crept up his spine.

_Please don’t be dead._

“We didn’t see him. We have to get out of here. NOW.” Sakura said as she helped Naruto up just in time before the flames engulfed them both. Kakashi had followed them closely, fending off mentally compromised prisoners as they came. 

The three jumped out of the hole Juugo had created before a multitude of prisoners rioted down the hall behind them. Many of them would die killing each other. Naruto looked back at the facility which now had a wicked stench emulating from it.

“We gotta go… find him…” Naruto said desperately.

“We can’t locate his scent anymore.” Sakura spoke with distress in her voice. “We have no choice but to go back.”

“Next time…” Naruto’s head fell.

_How many next times are there going to be? He saved me… He might die… he might… hurt himself._

Naruto felt the pain surge in his heart. He was incredibly fearful that the next time he heard of Sasuke, he would no longer be alive. He reluctantly agreed to go home after much coaxing from Kakashi and Sakura. There was nothing he could do. He felt utterly helpless and incredibly useless.

 _How can I be Hokage if I can’t save you?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music - Pieces by Red
> 
> Suicide prevention hotline - 800-273-8255  
> Website - https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/  
> Resource guide - https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/suicide-resource-guide


	39. Light

Three days had passed since Naruto’s eye-opening encounter. He had lost all will and motivation and had barely left his apartment. There were no leads and it seemed that with every attempt he made at going after him, it would fail again. Sasuke didn’t want him to go with him and he didn’t want to come home.

_Is it time for me to let you go?_

The thought threatened tears.

_I can’t do it, Sasuke. No matter how hard I try… I can’t let go of you. I'm coming for you..._

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sasuke’s eyes slowly opened. He was laying in the bed of an Inn in a remote village about 30 miles north of the Konoha. He slowly turned to see the moon glowing brightly through the window. It's soft glow reflected it's light against his pale skin. He could hear the crickets and locusts sing their songs in the night. He laid there quietly for several moments as he stared at the sky. His mind was numb, and his body was in incredible pain. 

_I can’t go to Konoha… can I?_

He touched his index finger to his thumb, thinking about the brief contact they had made. Memories echoed through his head and for the first time in years, he let them play out freely. Things he had not considered in months. The scent of him, the first kiss and the initial fiery feelings. He thought of how wonderful the sensation of being embraced by him had been. The kind words that had been exchanged. He wanted it all back.

Despite all of his pain and the heavy reality that sat on his shoulders, he resolved that death could not be his out. The answer had been in front of him the entire time. The Mangekyo allowed him to see a truth he had never acknowledged due to a fear he no longer had.

_I love him._

He looked around the room to see his chosen team had come to rescue him. They were sleeping peacefully. While he was grateful, he wished it had been Naruto.

_How many times has he tried to get to me? All this time and I have been blinded by my hatred. He’s been there for me this entire time despite my ignorance. Itachi, did you know?_

He covered his mouth to quiet his erratic breathing. He forced himself into silence so as not to wake anyone. He allowed his fantasies to take over. If the entire village accepted him, and if his team accepted him, there was nothing holding him there. The pain he had endured had been done to him by people. He was stronger than anyone who could harm him now. Most of all, being with him again would make it all worth it even if it was only a possibility. Even just being his friend would mean everything now.

_He was going to betray Konoha for me... Kakashi nearly betrayed Konoha for me... It's never been about the place. It's about the people. Our bonds._

Returning to Konoha suddenly sounded incredibly enticing.

He struggled, but managed to get up despite the furious pain and clothed himself. He carefully and silently gathered his things. He took one more look at his sleeping team and debated on telling them somehow without signaling what his plan was. He reasoned he could not risk them following and left without notice toward the Hidden Leaf.

He traveled for several hours, limping the entire way. Despite his spine feeling like it would crack in two, he only had Naruto on his mind. He flinched from the shooting pain and forced himself to continue down the old familiar trail for the next several hours of the early morning. He wheezed as his lung began to fail him again. Karin could only do so much to help him if he did not have the ability to suck her chakra from her body. He did not want help from anyone else. All that mattered to him was reuniting with those he truly cared about. He could feel the blood seeping from his bandages over his abdomen.

_Just a little further._

The trees begun to look familiar. The nostalgic ambient sound of the early morning in the Hidden Leaf met his ears. His heart began to beat faster which was not good for his wounds. The pain in his back surged and with an audible crack he collapsed to the ground. He cried out in pain and groaned at the horrible grinding sensation in his lower back. He felt his legs go numb.

_Not good, but I have to keep moving._

Every part of his body was screaming _stop moving_. His hands sent shooting pain through his arms at his first attempt to lift himself off the ground. His chest slammed against the ground as they gave out. He willed himself to keep moving. He began to drag himself along the pathway to Konoha leaving a trail of blood in the dirt behind him. His vision became incredibly blurry. As much as he desperately tried to stay conscious, the world closed in around him with darkness.

_Is this where I will die?_

With that thought, he fainted from the overflowing unprocessed shock, exhaustion, and blood loss. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Kakashi was out on his early morning stroll to visit Obito’s grave. He had always appreciated dawn. It was quiet and calm in a way that the rest of the day could not offer. It seemed like any other morning. He breathed in the crisp air and took in the fresh scene, clear of any public. As he walked down the path, he passed the bridged which crossed the river on the edge of the village. He stopped and took another deep breath to take in the water below him. An unexpected scent reached his nose and it was close by. 

_That smell… is it possible?_

His eyes widened and for a moment he thought he was losing his mind.

_No, that’s definitely his scent. He’s alone… and bleeding profusely._

Kakashi dropped his book and ran as fast as he could in Sasuke's direction. 

_Did you finally come home?_

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sakura walked slowly and carefully with her studies in hand on her way to meet with the Hokage. There was a new healing jutsu being developed to remove blood clots in the heart. It was complicated and also the type of work she preferred. Anything to keep her mind of reality. She had not yet fully processed what had happened to Sasuke. Sure, she had spent days in anguish but being a shinobi had its costs and she knew this. She just never thought it would have to be like this. Despite the pain that sat heavy on her heart daily, she had her own way of dealing with it by keeping busy and for making sure Naruto was okay. Taking care of him somehow took a little of the focus on her own pain away. She had been intermittently checking on him, bringing him food, making sure he was alive. He appreciated it. She turned the corner to see a flash run by her.

_Was that Kakashi?_

She turned to see him speeding toward the village gates.

“SAKURA, FOLLOW ME!” He yelled behind him.

Kakashi never yelled about anything. It was even more suspicious now. She dropped everything and took off after Kakashi. Her mind raced thinking about the panic she had just heard in her sensei’s voice. He was almost always calm and collected. To see him distressed usually meant something was seriously wrong. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sasuke drifted in and out of consciousness as he laid motionless on the side of the road. The sun rising over the Hidden Leaf had warmed his body enough to know he was alive. He could not move but he heard voices coming closer. His body was suddenly being moved and turned over. He felt strong arms wrap around his shoulders and beneath his knees. Pain surged through his lower back at the movement inducing a groan. 

“Hang in there, kid.” Kakashi said with rare distress in his voice.

Sasuke winced as he felt pain in his lung and realized Sakura had her hand on his wound and was healing them as they moved. She was speaking to him too, but he could not understand her words. He watched as the massive green gates of Konoha came into view. The idea of entering the village was terrifying, but he was not there for the village. He tried to look at his surroundings. Naruto was nowhere to be seen.

His dread told him that the second he passed the gates that everything would get dark again and that light he had finally found would disappear again. His reality began to bend as he stared up at Hidden Leaf symbol proudly displayed at the top of the village. In a moment that felt like a frozen token of time just before traveling backward, he passed beneath the entrance. Once he was inside, he allowed himself to finally rest in his sensei’s arms as they flew toward the Hidden Leaf Hospital. They pushed through the door, nearly bulldozing an older couple coming back from their annual check ups. A profuse apology from Sakura was yelled as they made their way inside.

Sasuke did not know what was being said, only that Kakashi was screaming at the doctors as he entered the hospital. Before he could make any more sense of his surroundings, he found himself in yet another hospital bed. This one, somehow softer than all the rest. Nurses and doctors crowded around him and began their work, hooking him up to fluids and healing his body in various places. A blurry visual of Tsunade appeared in before him after only a few minutes who had immediately begun working on his mind. Whatever she did allowed him to slip into unconsciousness so they could perform emergency surgery on his back and lung.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Naruto’s unlocked door flung open. Sakura had not bothered to knock. Naruto turned, irritated that she had just opened his door like that.

“Hey Sakura, what’s your deal—” He started.

“Sasuke’s back! He’s in the hospital!” She yelled at him with panic and excitement.

He just stared at her. She could tell he was in shock, so she grabbed his hand and pulled.

“Come on!” She tugged at him further.

“Wait…”

He turned, opened his drawer, grabbed something and put it in his pocket.

“Let’s go…” He said, still not sure if he was awake.

He had dreamed about this day before. His feet began to move after Sakura. His face was still in disbelief.

_He’s here… He’s really here!?_

Naruto’s heart filled with elation as he began to run beside her full speed, passing her as he did so.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

News of the Uchiha coming back had spread like wildfire. The entire hospital knew by now and word was getting out to the villagers.

“SASUKE! Where is he!?” Naruto screamed at a nurse who was innocently passing him in the hospital hall.

She pointed him in the right direction and he sped past her causing her paperwork to fly everywhere. 

“SORRY!” He yelled as he continued to run.

He turned the corner to see Tsunade and Kakashi talking outside of a hospital room. They turned and looked at him. He could tell Kakashi was smiling at him through his mask. He stopped in front of the room and stared at the door.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Go see him. He’s unconscious for now, but he'll be alright.” Kakashi spoke with happiness in his voice.

Naruto looked up to see his misty-eyed sensei. Tsunade’s makeup was coming off the corners of her eyes indicating that she had also been crying. She smiled and nodded at him. He hesitated for a moment longer before opening the door to see Sasuke lying on the hospital bed with a series of medical tubing attached to his body. It didn’t look comfortable.

He approached slowly and watched the unconscious Uchiha for a few moments before gently touching his cheek with his thumb as if to check if he was real. He pulled Sasuke’s old head band out of his pocket and set it gently on the nightstand _._ He pulled up a chair and sat. To see him home again was surreal. It was also the beginning of everything he had been dreaming for.

Sasuke's battle-scarred hand laid motionless at his side. Naruto stared at it longingly for a few moments before clasping it in his own. Feeling his warmth made it real. He had not realized the weight he had been carrying. Now that Sasuke was home and safe, he could finally let go. He laid his head down at his best friend's side and wept. The journey had been long and arduous, but he was finally home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music - Bigger by Beyonce


	40. Naruto's Request

Sasuke stayed unconscious for four days. During this time, he had received countless gifts that had filled the room with the aroma of various beautiful flowers from the Yamanaka Flower Shop.

His mind awoke slowly. He did not wish to try to open his eyes just yet. The comfort of the bed and the scent of the room was nice. He wanted to hold on the comfort. His hand felt warm. 

He could hear the steady breathing of Naruto’s shallow sleep and realized that his hand was being held. He squeezed the hand and forcefully peeled his eyes open to see the bright and colorful hospital room. It was a stark contrast to anywhere he had been recuperating before. The tubes had been removed, but left his throat feeling incredibly sore. His gaze shifted downward and he saw Naruto’s head resting at his side with his hand firmly clasped in his. He slowly ran his thumb over Naruto’s fingertips. To his surprise, the blonde groggily raised his head. He blinked several times as he registered that the exhausted, messy-haired Uchiha was staring at him.

“You’re awake!” Naruto finally said excitedly even though his voice was tired.

Sasuke opened his mouth to try to speak but was interrupted by Sakura who had just entered with more medical supplies. Sasuke pulled his hand away and put it on his lap before she. Naruto furrowed his brows at the action, but was too grateful he was home to care. She threw her supplies on the counter when she saw that Sasuke had woken up followed by happy tears.

“Sasuke!” She ran up to him and hugged him. “I’m so glad you’re safe.”

She smiled at him. Naruto had told her what he had seen him try to do when they had last met. She had prepared herself to hear news of his death. 

“Hey… looks like you finally came to. We almost lost you there.” Kakashi said as he entered the door upon hearing the commotion.

“You guys… have been waiting here?” Sasuke asked with a hoarse voice, bewildered by the showering of affection.

He had expected to be treated like a war criminal and was dreading another prison cell. They were treating him like... family. 

“Well, yes. You were in pretty bad shape. I'm happy to see you alive...” Kakashi said as he walked up to Sasuke’s bedside.

The feeling was overwhelming. He had been in darkness for so long that he had forgotten what it felt like to be in the light. The weight of his actions suddenly became heavy on his heart. The tears came regardless of his efforts to control them. He broke eye contact with his sensei instinctively and tried to wipe them away. Sakura hugged him again.

“How can you guys be so nice to me?... after everything I’ve done?” He managed to say.

“We've all done things we aren't proud of... but you've always been a part of Team 7.” Naruto said softly with a smile.

He grabbed the headband off the nightstand and handed it over which only induced more tears. For a moment, Naruto panicked, thinking he had done something wrong, but his anxiety was proven to be making assumptions.

"Thank you." Sasuke whispered.

Once he composed himself, he looked up at Naruto who met his gaze. He wanted to tell him everything. It was beginning to hit Sasuke how much he had missed him. His feelings had been suppressed for so long, but he was finish with that. He ultimately decided that he would not inhibit himself any longer. Kakashi took notice of the extended gaze between the two and cleared his throat.

“Hey Sakura, come help me find some food. You must be starving, Sasuke.” Kakashi said as he exited the room.

Sakura raised her eyebrows as she realized what her sensei was doing. She stared at him for a moment before snapping out of it. 

“OH! Right! Yes, let’s go do that.”

She followed Kakashi and turned toward the two with a playful look on her face.

“Byeee… we’ll be back, uh, later.”

She smiled as she closed the door behind her. Sasuke just stared at them. He didn’t understand the strange and sudden behavior. Naruto, however, had developed a blush on his cheeks and his pulse was rapid.

“Naruto… are you alright?” He asked, noticing that the blonde was sweating bullets. 

“Y-YEAH! I’m u-uh.. g-good. Hah.. haha..”

He tripped over his words causing Sasuke to raise an eyebrow at him.

“Naruto...”

Sasuke could feel his own heart start to beat fast. He stared at Naruto’s eyes and then down to his lips, his chin, and his neck. He wanted to kiss him and never stop. Telling himself he was free to do so was wildly liberating. He slowly pulled himself upward into a sitting position. He winced at the pain in his back.

“HEY take it easy! You almost died… a couple of times.”

Naruto’s expression fell as he recalled Sasuke’s dangerously destructive behavior. He turned his attention to the floor while he tried to think of what to talk about. Or what would be appropriate to talk about. There were so many things he had wanted to say and his mind being blank was frustrating. A warmth on his cheek distracted him from his running monologue. Sasuke's fingertips were gently touching his face. His palm settled against his cheek near his ear.

“You saved me.” He almost whispered.

Naruto clasped his hand. He could not help but let a big smile spread across his face.

_Worth everything for that alone._

Sasuke leaned over with his lips slightly parted. Naruto wanted desperately to indulge and leaned in instinctively to kiss him, but forced himself to stop before their lips could meet. He and pulled his head back and let go of Sasuke’s hand. 

“No… At least not yet.” He said sadly. 

Sasuke stared at him, stunned, and slowly lowered his hand. Naruto looked back at him with a serious expression.

Sasuke could see a deep pain in his eyes and prepared himself for the worst. It would be foolish to think that after all that time, he would just be able to jump back into things. He kicked himself mentally for even making the assumption in the first place. He readied himself for what the blonde had to say. 

_Does he have a girlfriend? Or does he not see me that way any more?_

“You broke my heart, Sasuke… if you want to be with me… then I need to… feel like you really want me. I feel like I barely know you now. I think what I'm saying is... I want to start from the beginning with you.”

Naruto had the same pout he always had when he felt guilty about something. It had been cute when they were young, but now it made the Uchiha's heart full-on melt. He vowed to never notify him of this power because if he did, Naruto would be able to get away with whatever he wanted.

Sasuke looked down at his hands. He suddenly felt immense guilt coupled with elation. He had broken his best friends heart, but he had also used the phrase _be with me._ He learned it was a term that only couples used when dating. The way Naruto was talking made his heart flutter. Another one of his fears was proven wrong. If he could actually have this and if it really were possible, he would do anything. The words came out with difficulty, but he pushed through them. Navigating this new part of his life was not going to be as straight forward as he hoped. 

“I'm... sorry for breaking your heart. I was wrong... for doing things the way that I did. If there's any chance... or any possibility that I... we... could be... together..." He paused and looked longingly in the blonde's eyes. "What do I have to do?”

Naruto blinked at him. Sasuke had never reacted to things positively before or with such openness. Knowing Sasuke wanted to be with him and was willing to do whatever he wanted was strange and empowering. He felt pure giddy excitement surge within him and fought the impulse to kiss him again. 

“I’m not going to make you do anything. I just need to see that you’re ready for something like that. When I feel that, then I will kiss you. It's just... you were always so afraid of people seeing... and with good reason, but... I just want you to be comfortable.”

Naruto had rehearsed this over and over. Sasuke blushed as he thought of ways to prove that he was willing to do _absolutely anything_ to win his love. The idea of being unashamed and living authentically in that sense still seemed impossible but he would have to try. He nodded his head in acknowledgement. He processed his thoughts for a few moments longer before speaking again. 

“I’m so sorry, Naruto.” 

“Sasuke… I forgive you. Stop apologizing.”

He shot him a goofy half-smile, but it disappeared upon seeing Sasuke's pained expression.

All at once, a wave of heavy emotion flooded into Sasuke's mind. Feeling forgiveness from someone he loved so dearly triggered the horrors that were still fresh in his memory. He covered his mouth to try to muffle his sobs as the incredible guilt crushed down on his shoulders. Not just for Naruto, but for his brother. He just wanted to talk to Itachi again. He just had so many questions and he had blatantly missed every opportunity to ask. The pain cut deep to a part of him he had thought was dead. It had ripped open old wounds causing the feelings of despair to run wildly throughout him once again. 

“Can I hug you?” Sasuke asked through his tears.

Naruto jumped on the opportunity. He did not answer, but acted by wrapping his arms tightly around him. He held him for several long and heavenly minutes. Neither of them wanted to let go, but Sasuke did first. Once he composed himself, he looked over to Naruto again with puffy red eyes. Naruto used his thumb to wipe away the tear sitting on Sasuke’s cheek. He was surprised to see Sasuke lean his face into his hand.

“I’m going to show you how proud I am of you.” Sasuke said with a new resolve.

Naruto smiled at him. It had gone much better than he could have hoped. 

Sakura and Kakashi returned with food which Sasuke essentially inhaled. Team 7 was complete and happy to share their first meal together in years. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Two more days went by before Sasuke decided he was ready to leave the hospital. Naruto barely left his side the entire time. They had talked for hours about their lives apart from each other and got to know the parts of each other that were different. Naruto finally was able to talk with Sasuke in a way that they never had before. He had always seen that the Uchiha had a lot of feelings about things, but he was normally cordial and quiet. It was like a wall had fallen and he was suddenly able to express the things he had kept locked away. He spoke freely about his fond memories of them together. 

He realized how much Naruto had grown too. Despite his goofy nature, he understood the world around him in a way that surpassed even some of the wisest of shinobi. He felt heard by Naruto for the first time. His love for him grew twenty-fold in a matter of hours. It burned intensely in his soul like an erupting volcano which had laid dormant for the entirety of their friendship.

He had told, or rather, almost forced Naruto to go home, take a shower, and rest which gave him an opportunity to go explore the village on his own. It took an incredible amount of convincing, but Sasuke had not taken no for an answer. He had work to do and not the kind that he was used to.

Tsunade offered him a new apartment which he would eventually accept. He just wanted to spend some time in the old one first.

He entered the musty room covered in dust and opened the squeaky window to let in some fresh air. He delicately inspected his old things and pulled out one of his old shirts and was blown away by how _tiny_ it was. The reality that his trauma had taken him at such a young age became apparent as he looked at the proud crest on the back of his small blue shirt. He rubbed the fabric between his fingers to feel the familiar cotton texture before folding it neatly to place back in the drawer. He made his way to his nightstand and stared at the photograph of him and his team face down in front of him. He picked it up and held it for a moment as he thought back to happier times in his life. He vowed to never leave his team again regardless of the circumstances. They would be his home from now on. He wiped it clean with his shirt and kissed the top of the frame as if to apologize to it. The longer he stared at it, the more his guilt pushed him. He set it down, this time proudly displayed on the nightstand by his old bed which would be too small for him now.

Despite the growing feelings of positivity, he felt unsettled by being back in Konoha. The village was a dark place for him, and he knew that although Naruto respected his feelings, that he would not understand the disdain he had felt for the place. Horrible things had happened to him there and he would need to eventually see the location of his traumas again. He was not yet ready to visit the Uchiha clan grounds or the facility. He wished he could speak with someone who understood. It dawned on him that someone who truly understood what it had been like to lose everyone had always been right there with him. His heart sunk as he realized how alienated he had made himself from Kakashi. He needed to speak with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music - Fade Into You by Mazzy Star


	41. Mended Bonds

The sun blazed over Konoha’s training grounds. Kakashi took refuge beneath a large oak tree towering over training ground 2 and read his book lazily awaiting his next mission. Sasuke appeared next to him almost silently, but the copycat ninja did not flinch or react. 

“You almost surprised me.” Kakashi started the conversation casually.

He wanted to make sure Sasuke felt comfortable, and knew that his comfort came best when his actions were underacknowledged. It was difficult, he admitted to himself, to not show how elated he was that his long-lost student had come to speak with him and was feeling well enough to not be hospitalized. He felt an incredible peace now that all his pupils were back home and safe.

“But you still noticed me coming.” Sasuke replied, sure that Kakashi could still sneak up on him had the roles been reversed.

“Ha, I suppose I did, at least this time.”

His sensei was acutely aware of his pupil’s incredible abilities. At such a young age, he would surely surpass him in no time. Sasuke looked down at the grass below him trying desperately to find the right words in his head. Kakashi could see the wheels spinning.

“What’s on your mind?” He asked.

“How do you do it?... How do you stay in this place when all you’ve known here is turmoil?” 

“Because not everything I know here is turmoil... and it has been the turmoil that has taught me the greatest lessons. I have plenty of good memories here too. I mean, I was placed on Team 7 here. I wouldn’t exchange that opportunity for my life. Existence has an interesting way of showing you its balance even when the bad outweighs the good. I’ve learned to see it together. The pain and suffering I have experienced is immeasurable as you know, but I found something more beautiful through it than I could ever describe. I never expected it when they first told me I would be teaching but now I think of you three as my chosen family.”

“…Chosen family.”

The word family had always brought such a negative reaction in Sasuke until this moment. His sensei, who had also had his entire blood family ripped from him, saw _him_ as family. The thought lingered in his mind and his heart began to feel warm. He fought back the urge to smile instinctively, but when Kakashi put his arm around his shoulder followed by a quick ruffling of his hair, he couldn’t help but smile widely. He could not remember the last time he had smiled like that. If Kakashi was family and if families stood behind each other through anything, then maybe it was time to finally fly.

“Sensei…Do you remember when you found me that night? The night that I… left.”

Kakashi closed his book and gave his full attention. It warmed him to be called _sensei._

“Yes.”

_How could I forget?_

“…I had just been freed from that prison underground. Do you know about that place?” He asked.

“Yes. I know it for what it truly was now. There were some pretty horrific things happening down there.” 

Sasuke’s mind replayed some of the torturous practices he endured and gritted his teeth. He swallowed and took a deep breath. The panic was rising in him, but he plowed through it. He needed to let it out and _tell someone_. 

“The reason… they put me in that place… was because they caught me holding hands with Naruto. I came back because I'm not afraid of them anymore... and I'm not going to let myself be intimidated by anyone who tells me that it's wrong.”

The pain was written plainly across his face and his voice gave away the anxiety brimming below the surface. He grabbed the fabric from his shirt and rubbed it between his fingers to try to distract himself from the words escaping his mouth.

“There’s no reason now why you can’t go for that.” Kakashi said as encouragingly and calmly as possible.

Sasuke was not sure what he had expected, but it certainly wasn’t that. His anxiety began to fade almost immediately.

“You don’t seem surprised.” 

“I’m not. I’ve known for a long time.”

“H-how!?”

Sasuke’s eyes were wide as he turned to look Kakashi in the face.

“You guys thought you were so sneaky.” He smiled beneath his mask. “…but really what gave it away was I noticed you _staring_... a lot.”

For several moments Sasuke was quiet.

“Hmph.” 

He turned away to hide his creeping blush. Kakashi couldn’t help but chuckle. 

“Don’t worry. I never said a word.”

“…Thank you.” He paused for a few moments. “I-I’m sorry that I left.”

“It’s alright Sasuke. Don’t worry. You’re here now.”

The corner of Sasuke’s mouth went up a little. The interaction had gone much better than expected.

“Come with me, I want to show you something.” Kakashi said.

He stood up and began to walk from where they sat. Sasuke looked at him bewildered before following. It did not take him long before he realized where they were headed.

“Wait.” Sasuke stopped. “I don’t know if I can go back there yet.”

The thought of going inside the cell or even seeing it made him want to panic. They were on the outer path which led to the facility.

“I wanted to show you… that it’s been destroyed by the 5th Hokage. Your team helped. A memorial sits in its place for the deceased victims. If you’re not ready… I understand. We don’t have to go.”

For several moments Sasuke did not respond. He realized that he had been so wrapped up in his own experience that he had forgotten about those who had been in there with him. He looked at Kakashi with a serious resolve.

“No. I changed my mind. I want to see their names.”

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Days had passed since Itachi's death and Sasuke had become more acquainted with the idea of being back in Konoha. Although, at times, he still felt understandably unsettled. He and Naruto had seen each other every day. He had made plenty of baby steps in the right direction and Naruto could see his effort, but any little bit of affection was immediately redacted and hidden as soon as there was the possibility of being overheard or seen. To Naruto, it meant that he still wasn't ready. They had several conversations on the issue and Sasuke found that he was not going to be able to force himself. It was truly a matter of time.

The village's inhabitants whispered about Sasuke’s return to the point where most had heard of his arrival. He preferred to travel on the roof tops to avoid being approached by curious young bachelorettes. To them, he was a prize to be won. As he jumped from building to building, he looked down and noticed two familiar faces walking together hand in hand. He raised his eyebrows upon realizing that Sakura and Lee were apparently now a couple. He jumped down in front of them, startling them both.

“Oh, hey, Sasuke.” Sakura said with a sheepish grin.

“S-SASUKE. I’m glad to see you are well!”

Lee was nervous to see Sakura’s previous crush despite it being years in the past. Part of him still felt insecure. Sasuke was considered the village heart-throb and he was, well, Sakura said he was handsome and that was all that mattered to him.

“Yeah, hey Lee… Sakura, I need to speak with you... in private.”

Sakura stared at him for a moment as she processed the unusual request. She turned to Lee who nodded in understanding. She kissed him on the cheek to say goodbye. Before the two left, Sasuke turned back to face Lee.

“Lee…You’re a lucky guy.” Sasuke said with a nod and a soft smile. “We won’t be long.”

Lee just about melted in place from being acknowledged by the now infamous last-standing Uchiha. He was, however, vaguely worried. He had expressed his insecurities to Sakura in the past who had vehemently told him he had nothing to worry about. He believed her, but the anxiety still made its way through his mind from time to time. 

“S-sure! No worries!”

He watched as Sasuke led Sakura to the roof tops. They landed on a secluded roof away from ear shot from the people below. He turned to face her, but looked at the ground before mumbling something inaudible.

“You’re going to have to speak up…” She said with a smile on her face.

She playfully leaned down to try to see Sasuke’s hiding face.

“I-I said… For all those years… I’m sorry If I... led you on.”

Her expression turned serious as she remembered how Sasuke used to treat her. Before he left Konoha, he had essentially used her as a tool. She would flirt with him and hang on him and he would allow it. It was a good cover, but his young and selfish mind had not considered her feelings. He realized what he had done to her was incredibly wrong. Regardless of his terrible actions, she had always supported him even with his cruel attitude toward her. It was impressive that she had been willing to tolerate so much and still accept him as he was now. In another life, she might have stolen his heart.

Her expression changed to one of concern. It hit her that she needed that apology. It began to heal a previously numb pain that had existed in the cornerstones of her heart. She blinked a few times trying to prevent her eyes from getting misty.

“Thank you, Sasuke. That means a lot to me.”

“…And I uh, need your help with something.”

Sasuke’s heart began to beat fast and he shifted his stance. After several moments and continuous shifting, he practically forced the words out of his mouth.

“I'm... in love and don't know how to show it.”

Her eyes grew wide and her lips parted slightly as she stared at him. It was not his words, but his blunt honesty that had struck her. Though he hung his head, she could see the flush across his cheeks.

"...Naruto?" She asked. 

He wished he could shrink or disappear, but he reminded himself that he needed to speak with her. In his mind, she was the only one who he could trust enough to ask for help with his problem. To his surprise, she approached him and embraced him. He slowly wrapped his arms around her and held her for several moments before she broke the embrace.

“Have you told him?” She asked, wondering where he was.

“No… you’re the first person I’ve ever told.”

She found it incredibly sweet that he had trusted her enough to tell her first.

“Well that's a good place to start. Are you planning to?”

She smiled at him.

“Y-yes… I’m going to… soon. I just have to do something first.”

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

It had been 10 hours since Naruto had completely knocked out after showering at home. His alarm caused him to awake in a panic. He began to panic more when he realized he had been asleep for so long. He hurriedly got dressed and sped to the hospital to Sasuke’s room only to find it empty. His anxiety told him that he had left again but his heart told him that it could not be true. He rushed back down the hospital stairs, leaping over the side as he did so which caused a nurse to nearly drop the medication in her hands.

“WATCH IT KID!” The woman screamed at him followed by grumbling about how all ninjas were alike.

He dashed out the door and looked wildly both ways. He suddenly realized he had no idea where Sasuke would have gone.

“Loser.”

Sasuke sat atop the hospital entrance. He had watched Naruto run inside without noticing him and then had waited with a smirk on his face to see him run back out. Naruto pointed a finger at him.

“H-HEY! YOU SHOULD STILL BE RESTING!”

“I’m fine.”

Sasuke gracefully jumped down and approached, eyeing him the entire time. Rather than stopping in front of him, he passed him. As he brushed by, Naruto could smell his shampoo and wanted to bury his face in the scent. He felt like the air was thicker and it was harder to breathe. He watched as the Uchiha walked down the path away from the hospital, frozen in his tracks. 

_He's so stunning._

“WAIT! Where are you going?” He chased after him.

“I wanted to keep exploring. I haven’t seen this place in so long…” Sasuke spoke calmly as he took in the greenery and architecture around him.

Konoha truly was, at least, externally beautiful.

“Well then C’man! There’s a ton of new stuff. I’ll show you around!”

Naruto spoke with a big smile as he excitedly skipped ahead. The two explored nearly the entire village, visiting both old and new things. Naruto had historically never been very aware of the Uchiha's glances, but today they stood out. They frequently made silent eye contact as they navigated the public. Something about the way Sasuke had been looking at him made his heart palpitate. He was being lured in by the Uchiha’s charm. He resisted giving in and throwing his boundaries out the window. 

The two walked until they entered onto another main street. They approached a bridge nearby the Hidden Leaf Hot Springs and Sasuke saw something he never would have dreamed of seeing in Konoha. Two men walking hand in hand, laughing, and joking together like lovers would. He stared at the sight before him with wide eyes as if he had just discovered gold. 

“Hey asshole, what are you staring at?” One of the men called out.

Sasuke immediately blushed and turned his head.

Naruto had watched the entire interaction with a grin on his face. Sasuke looked down and then to his hand. He stopped dead in his tracks. The thought of holding Naruto’s hand caused his heart to race, yet again. He remembered the reason he had been locked away in the first place was because they had caught him doing the same thing. The feelings of horrible helplessness and the agony of the disgusting facility came rushing back into his mind. His hands began to tingle in the same way they did when his panic normally set in. He felt his vision get blurry. He sat down on the side of the path while trying to catch his breath which seemed to be escaping him. Naruto's smile disappeared upon seeing the Uchiha breathe heavily on the side of the road.

“Are you okay?” He asked urgently. 

He rushed over and sat down next to his panicking best friend. He gently placed his hand on his shoulder, but it was quickly shrugged off. 

“Don’t touch me.” He spoke with distress in his voice.

Naruto didn’t know how to help him, so he just sat quietly next to him. He wanted to respect his boundaries too, although the tension between them was growing. The ambiance of the birds and the peaceful rustle of the trees eventually calmed Sasuke after several minutes. 

“…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you.” He finally said.

Naruto looked at him with sad eyes.

“It’s okay… Do you want to talk about it?”

Sasuke didn’t respond but got up and offered Naruto his hand. Naruto hesitated a moment before grabbing it. Sasuke helped him up but did not let go. He was still breathing a little heavier than normal as he interlaced their fingers. A blush crept onto Naruto’s face. Sasuke swallowed and began to walk which pulled Naruto from his stunned standing position. Naruto’s heart suddenly felt incredibly warm. Footsteps approached from the opposite direction they were going which caused Sasuke’s to have to fight the panic threatening to take over again. The people came and then they went. To his surprise, they had not seemed to notice. Once they had left out of view, Naruto stopped again and faced Sasuke.

“I know that wasn’t easy for you.” Naruto said quietly. “Thank you.”

He took a step closer to the Uchiha who watched him with bright and hopeful eyes.

He gestured with his head to jump through the nearby trees. Sasuke followed him until they were secluded from the public. Naruto stopped and faced him. The golden and green leaves were slowly falling through the rays of the setting sun. Sasuke's heart began to beat fast again, not from anxiety, but from desperate anticipation.

Naruto leaned in close and their lips slowly connected for a short soft kiss. It was like electric fire through both of their bodies. After the initial contact, Sasuke craved more and wrapped his arms around the blonde’s shoulders before crashing his lips into Naruto’s again for a longer and incredibly passionate kiss. After several seconds, Sasuke pulled away to speak.

“Naruto… The reason I came back here… was for you. I didn’t want to come back to Konoha, but when you told me you would follow me it made some things very clear for me. There’s something that I have to say to you that I should have said to you years ago.” Sasuke blinked trying to find his courage as he felt his emotions swell. “I…love you so much. I have for a long time. I’ve been denying us a chance this entire time.”

A large elated grin appeared on Naruto’s face.

“I love you too, obviously. Who would chase after someone for five years if they didn't?”

For some reason, this made Sasuke laugh.

“You’re insane for not giving up on me… but I’m glad you didn’t.”

He leaned back in for another elongated kiss. It would be difficult not to kiss the blonde at every opportunity now. All he cared about now was him. Naruto still had a gigantic smile once they broke their kiss.

“Hey, Sasuke…”

He knew the answer to his next question and couldn't wait to hear it. 

“Hm?”

“Would you be my boyfriend?”

Sasuke couldn’t help but smile widely back at him.

“Yes.” 


	42. Dinner With a King

Suna had been given notice that the Chunin Exams would finally take place again. The people of Konoha had been wary of the Sand’s presence ever since the attack induced by Orochimaru. For several years, the Kazekage had not been invited to attend and tensions were seemingly high. Gaara had worked diligently to solve this issue and eventually drafted a revised treaty for Konoha and Suna to finally and truly be at peace. Tsunade was thoroughly impressed by Gaara’s negotiation abilities. Most adultswould not understand the inner workings of politics and economics the same way that the genius 18-year-old did. The treaty was finalized after Gaara had been rescued by the Leaf from the Akatsuki. The invitation to join Konoha for their Chunin exams felt like an honor to Gaara. He was happy to go, however, he had also gotten word of the return of Sasuke. He had one thing he wished to say to him, and he did not care if it was self-indulgent.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Team 7 and Team Guy sat together enjoying themselves after a long and successful mission. Everyone was tired, but they deserved the good food after the trials they had been through. Sasuke and Naruto sat next to each other but not _too_ close. There were still some hills to get over and PDA would very well never be one of them. The occasional brush of a fingertip or a subtle touch to his back was more than enough for Sasuke while in the presence of others. They hungrily scarfed down their food in silence. 

“Did you guys hear the Chunin exams are here again?” Guy piped up.

He looked over at the two who had both not yet officially become Chunin. Naruto finished chewing and chuckled. 

“Wouldn’t it be stupid to do the exams now? Do you need to take them become Hokage?” He said. 

He didn’t want to deal with taking anymore ridiculous Konoha tests.

Sasuke blew air out of his nose thinking about taking an exam for fresh ninja, but if they did take the exams together, then he might get to fight Naruto and _really_ see who was stronger. It started as playful banter, but their competitive natures pushed them to challenge each other with increasing frequency. Though they were in a newly formed relationship, it was becoming blatantly obvious that they were still rivals too. He was confident in his victory, of course. This time, however, he would not be able to attack with murderous intent. It would surely make winning more difficult. 

“I guess not necessarily, but none of the previous Hokage’s have ever skipped that part aside from the First I suppose.”

Guy had a cocky smirk on his face as he spoke. Naruto's face contorted into a frown. He crossed his arms as he thought about it.

"...I really wish I could just skip it."

“I’ll do it. Maybe I’ll be the next Hokage.” Sasuke said casually.

He knew he was pushing a button and he was pushing it hard. Despite his mocking words, he was unsure if he was truly capable of such a thing. The responsibility would be immense and he would need to bare the title of strongest shinobi in Konoha. It would be interesting to find out if he truly was. He just had to get Naruto riled up enough to want to fight him. _Really_ fight him. 

The table simultaneously looked at Sasuke and then at Naruto as they felt a sudden edge of intense competition at the table. Naruto swiveled his head and glared with squinted eyes at his boyfriend. 

“What did you say?” He asked in an accusatory tone. 

He knew what the Uchiha said, but he questioned the blatant audacity of his words. He stared hard at Sasuke who purposefully ignored him as he continued to eat. Old feelings of intense jealousy over Sasuke's abilities lit a fire inside him. He grumbled under his breath. It was like he was begging for a fight. 

“Really, Sasuke?” Sakura asked sarcastically.

Naruto continued to stare. Sasuke couldn't help but smirk as he felt the blonde's burning eyes in the side of his head. Things were going according to plan. 

“FINE! But if we have to go against each other, Sasuke, you better believe I’m going to bring it!”

Naruto spoke with irritation in his voice.

“We’ll see.” He replied calmly.

It was almost like he had never left. Naruto was about to retort before Guy spoke up again.

“And not to mention, this year is special since Konoha has made the new peace treaty with Suna. The Kazekage will even be visiting.”

Guy knew that Naruto and Gaara were close based on how he had seen them interact in Suna, but he had wrongly assumed it had only ever been as friends.

Naruto froze, his face now white, and slowly turned back to Guy. He almost instantly felt the nervous familiar bubbling in his stomach. He was not entirely sure why. It hadn’t been like he and Gaara were anything official. Gaara had made that blatantly clear, however, the idea of he and Sasuke being in the same room together made his stomach turn. It gurgled loudly with displeasure. He blushed from embarrassment.

“I-uh… I gotta go…. I’ll be back heh.. heheh…”

Naruto rushed from the table toward the bathroom. Sasuke watched him suspiciously and squinted his eyes. Naruto didn’t get the shits like that unless he was nervous. He wondered why he would be so anxious about the Kazekage returning. He had not forgotten how he found them hand in hand that day all those years ago. He wanted to brush it off as nothing, but his mind would not allow him. He resolved to ask about it later. He went to take another bite and stopped. His food no longer seemed as appetizing.

The dinner continued on with no further outbursts or arguments, but there was a new tension in the air that everyone could feel. Sasuke had essentially challenged Naruto for the title of Hokage. The uncomfortable challenge was directly followed by the strange reaction Naruto had to Gaara coming to Konoha.

Sakura wondered if he had feelings for the Kazekage at one point, but initially brushed it off as the two having a lot in common. He never told her what happened in Suna but she had suspicions due to how adoringly he had spoken of the red head. She was the only other one at the table who fully realized the situation at hand. The thought finally occurred to her that if, for any reason, Naruto and Sasuke were to break up, that it could mean the mass destruction of Konoha. Sasuke _seemed_ stable, but considering his past actions, there was no telling for sure. She nervously kept her mouth shut and hoped nothing would come of it.

Everyone finished eating and paid their bills aside from Naruto. Kakashi graciously covered him since he was clearly still struggling in the restroom. The group headed outside and said their goodbyes, leaving Sasuke to wait just outside the restaurant.

Lee waited until he and Sakura were well out of ear shot to speak his mind.

“What was that about?” Lee wondered aloud.

“Who knows.”

She thought about how Sasuke was pouting at his meal for the rest of the night. It could, indeed, get very ugly. She just hoped they were _both_ mature enough to be cordial. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sasuke was growing impatient. It had been several minutes before he heard Naruto mumbling to himself about how everyone had left. He exited the restaurant and took a few steps before Sasuke stepped in front of him, staring him dead in the eyes with an intensely confrontational expression. He looked like he might attack.

“AAH!! …S-scary. W-what’s with that face!?” Naruto stuttered.

His partner stared at him for a few moments longer before his expression changed to one of disappointment. His eyebrows furrowed upward, and he broke his eye contact to look down.

“Who is he to you?” Sasuke almost mumbled.

Naruto made immediately panicked and it showed on his face. 

“We’re… friends… but…”

Sasuke looked back up to Naruto’s eyes and braced himself for what he was going to say.

“….uh… it was… like a…uhm… What would you say? A fling? …but like… that was years ago... I-It’s just awkward… to have him come while… you’re here.”

Thinking about Naruto having a _fling_ was very troublesome. Despite this, when they were apart, he always hoped that he would find someone and be happy outside of him. For it to have actually happened, however, hit differently in Sasuke's mind.

“It’s okay.” He finally spoke softly. “I just wanted to know.”

This was all very new to him and he was not sure how to properly go about things. He supposed he could not blame Naruto in the slightest despite his jealousy firing off intensely in his mind.

“It really shouldn’t bother you...”

Naruto was slightly irritated now that he had realized he had let Sasuke put him into a corner for no good reason. He took a few steps past him in the direction of his home. He had forgotten how pushy the Uchiha could be sometimes. That much had not changed. To his surprise, Sasuke ran to catch up to him and they began to walk together.

“You’re right… sorry… I… got jealous.” He said shamefully. 

Naruto smirked.

“You don’t have any right to be.”

“Tch… I know that.”

Naruto couldn’t help but smile bigger. It was a start. 

“C’man, you never did anything with anyone? In the _five_ years we were apart?”

Naruto decided to open that can of worms and see what happened. His business was in the open now, anyway. Sasuke blushed and turned his head away. Naruto had gotten his answer. He giggled and teased him for his obviously red face. Mostly because he thought his _boyfriend_ was adorable. Using the title, even mentally, still made him feel giddy. Sasuke was not amused. 

“Shut up!” He barked.

“Jeez, sorry I asked!”

Suddenly, Sasuke stopped. His face was beat red. Naruto began to feel bad, thinking that he had somehow fatally embarrassed him with such a simple question. Sasuke began to speak once no one was within ear shot.

“It's not that nothing happened... I just… waited to do certain things… with you.” He almost mumbled.

Naruto stared at him with wide eyes and a furious blush appeared on his own face as his imagination went wild. It was not like he hadn’t fantasized about Sasuke saying such things. This, however, was _actually_ happening. He was speechless for several seconds before he managed to find his words again.

“Y-you did?”

"Yeah..." 

It became evident to Naruto just how _in love_ Sasuke had been all this time. He felt his heart rate increase. He hesitated for several seconds before asking his next question. 

"What do you mean by... certain things?" 

Sasuke blinked nervously a few times before taking a step closer. His lips were parted and his eyes were unusually lidded. He leaned his face in close. Through shaky breaths, he whispered into Naruto's ear. 

"I want you to fuck me." 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The two flew back to Sasuke’s apartment at record speed. It was closer than Naruto’s. As Sasuke shakily grabbed his keys, he felt the blonde's hands slip around his waist and slide up to his torso. A sensual kiss to the back of his neck caused him to shiver and lean backward into the sensation. Opening a door had never been so difficult. He finally felt the keys click into place and turned the handle. They stepped inside and he locked the door behind them. 

He turned back toward the blonde and panted lightly in anticipation for what they were finally about to do. Naruto could not wait any longer and pinned Sasuke against the door to share an intensely passionate kiss. Their tongues danced around each other's mouths in brimming ecstasy. Sasuke’s hands traveled up Naruto’s chest until it reached his coat zipper. He pulled it down slowly until it slipped off and fell to the ground. They broke their kiss and stared at each other with lust filled eyes. They simultaneously removed their shirts before hungrily going in for another moan-worthy kiss.

Their hands began to erratically explore each other’s bodies. The fiery feeling in his groin urged Sasuke to take things further. He did not break the kiss, but grabbed Naruto by the hips and pushed him backward in the direction of his bed. The two were breathing heavy now and itching to feel all of one another.

Naruto reached the bed and Sasuke pushed him down into a sitting position. Naruto looked up at him, surprised at the aggressive action. Sasuke stared at him for a moment before slowly crawling into his lap. He could feel the blonde's erection as he slowly began to move his hips. They collided into another long and wet kiss. 

When Naruto couldn’t put up with any further teasing, he grabbed Sasuke and threw him on his back. He untied the pants that were in his way and quickly removed any remaining clothing on the two of them. They took each other in only for a brief moment.

Naruto's eagerness led him and they connected again for a kiss causing their naked bodies to touch. The two of them groaned as they pressed and rolled their hips together. Naruto strayed from the Uchiha's mouth and began to kiss and suck the nape of his neck. It induced more shaky groans from Sasuke. He could not help but close his eyes as the pleasure overtook him. He opened them as he felt Naruto’s fingertips at his lips.

At first, he just stared at the blonde, confused. It eventually dawned on him what the dirty thing was that Naruto wanted him to do. It was embarrassing to be seen in that way, but he would have done anything for his partner in that moment.

Naruto watched him, mesmerized, as he opened his mouth to let the fingers inside. He slid his lips and tongue up and down. Naruto imagined the Uchiha’s head between his legs doing the same. The thought alone made his cock throb. He pulled his fingers from Sasuke’s mouth and began to kiss him again. Their tongues intermingled in their mouths in a sensual dance. Sasuke jumped as he felt Naruto’s fingertip begin touch him. The initial feeling was quickly followed by a pleasure he didn’t know existed. His short shaky breaths and trembling hips told Naruto he was doing something right.

“I’m going to put it inside… is that okay?”

He wanted to make sure Sasuke knew he had control.

“Yes.” He nearly whispered.

It was more than okay. He waited years for this. Naruto slowly slipped one finger inside of him. Sasuke inhaled sharply and instinctively tensed and pulled his legs together.

“Try to relax.” Naruto said softly.

After several seconds, Sasuke adjusted to the new sensation. Naruto began to move only slightly. At first, the discomfort concerned Sasuke. He was afraid he would not like what happened next, but all at once, it started to feel _really_ good. He subconsciously began to move his hips in tempo with his partner’s hand. After a few minutes, he felt a second finger which induced more initial discomfort. His breath hitched and he furrowed his brows. He reasoned it was just like the first and he would just need to wait a few seconds. 

“You okay?” Naruto asked to be sure.

“Y-Yes. Just go slow.”

He shook his head yes again and bent his neck back as the pleasure took over again. Naruto cautiously pushed both fingers inside completely and began to move them back and forth. Sasuke pulled his face close for another intense kiss. After a few minutes, he grabbed Naruto’s hand and pulled it away. Naruto looked at him, confused.

“I want you. All of you. Now.”

Sasuke would not wait until moment to feel him for the first time. Naruto smiled and kissed him again.

“So demanding… If you’re sure…”

Naruto was worried he might have been taking on more than he could handle.

“Please… just fuck me.”

He smirked at the Uchiha's pleading. The words were not only incredibly sexy, but satisfying to hear coming from _his_ mouth. 

Sasuke was breathing heavily from the long-term anticipation. He bit his lower lip as he readied himself mentally. He felt Naruto's cock push against his entrance. It was more than he thought it would be, but he wanted to keep going. He just needed a few moments.

"Wait... give me a second." He said in between his panting.

They stayed frozen for several seconds to allow time to adjust. As he relaxed, Naruto slowly slipped deeper inside him. The sensation caused them both to moan loudly. At a careful pace, they began to move against each other. Naruto reached down and began to stroke Sasuke’s cock. After only a few minutes, he could already feel himself getting close. His partners moans were getting more erratic. He could feel his fingertips digging into his back. He guessed he wasn't the only one reaching his peak. 

He felt a pulse as Sasuke came hard on himself, the sheets, and his stomach. It was more than enough to send him flying over the edge. He groaned as he felt his orgasm take over. 

Sasuke’s body shivered with uncontrollable tremors from the aftershock. He moaned softly as he felt his partner cum inside him. His thighs unintentionally squeezed Naruto’s sides as jolts of pleasure echoed through his body. The two connected in an intensely spiritual post-orgasm kiss before Naruto slowly pulled out. The motion induced a final high-pitched moan from Sasuke. Naruto collapsed next to him. The two stared at the ceiling for several seconds while they caught their breath. Sasuke slowly turned his head and stared at the blonde again with flushed cheeks. He turned back and met his dream-like gaze. 

"We just did that." Sasuke said. 

"We did." 

“I…. think I need a shower.” Sasuke said, looking down at the mess he had made. 

Naruto began to snicker.

“Ya think? Me too… let’s go?”

He flashed a sheepish and crooked smile. Sasuke’s face flushed red again as he slowly got up and followed. His legs were weak and walking was surprisingly difficult. After only approximately 15 minutes, things begun to get heated again in the shower. They had a lot of catching up to do.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Although Naruto did have feelings for Gaara, it was not anywhere near the same as his helpless infatuation with Sasuke. His love for Gaara had been, he guessed, mostly platonic. They two had only spent a collective amount of time together of about three weeks. Not enough to develop anything significant. Gaara had also made it pointedly clear that because of the distance between them and because of the separate responsibilities they would both one day share, that there was no room for any kind of relationship between the two. They had experimented and enjoyed each other on two separate occasions. The first had been after he begged Jiraiya to take him and the 2nd had been shortly after he saved the Kazekage's life. After the second and more explorative time, Gaara informed him that the visits would need to stop entirely. He had not explained to Naruto very clearly why other than something about increased responsibility. They were kin on a spiritual level that no one would understand due to their incredibly similar pasts. They were also very different people with different values.

On the contrary, Sasuke was the ice to his fire and the moon to his sun. Their chakra types were perfectly opposed and complimentary to their user. Their energies had collided and formed a beautiful new kind of balanced power. It was everything everything Sasuke had been searching for. He just wished he would have found it sooner. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The Kazekage approached Konoha with his entourage of shinobi including his staff, siblings, and a several select Jounin chosen to guard him. This was more of a formality for Gaara as he preferred to take care of matters on his own if anything were to arise. He wore the traditional Kazekage robes and his cool toned eyes peered just below his hooded jingasa-like hat. He enjoyed the journey. It had been peaceful and full of life throughout the forests. He had lost appreciation for the beauty of the desert so seeing something new and green was both refreshing and exciting. They were greeted by several of Konoha’s Jounin and led toward the inn where they would be staying. Onlookers mumbled in the streets at the sight and made way. Once everyone settled, Gaara took the opportunity to get out of the hot robes and into something more casual. He wanted to see Konoha again before the exams were due to start the next day. It was like a vacation for him. He normally would have piles of paperwork to worry about. Over the next several days, he would try very hard not to think about the mess his advisors would leave for him once he got back. Before he could enjoy himself, he just had one thing to address. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Naruto and Sasuke were sitting near their old training ground after a long day of sparring. They had gotten a feel for each other’s improvements and it left Naruto feeling very inadequate due to Sasuke’s incredible speed and variety of jutsu. Sasuke tried to teach him, but only time would allow Naruto to become quicker. Not to mention, the Sharingan was a stupidly unfair advantage in Naruto’s mind. They laid back on the soft grass beneath the shadow of an enormous oak tree to catch their breath. Sasuke noticed the ominous presence first and sat up quickly to see that Gaara had silently approached the two. They locked eyes and settled into a stand-offish stare. No one had come that close to approaching him without him noticing in a long time. Naruto first noticed Sasuke's expression which alarmed him. He turned his head in the direction of his stare. 

“Hey what’s wro-… GAARA!? Y-you’re here… ahh… umm…”

Both Gaara and Sasuke watched him struggle over his words for a few moments.

“Naruto. It’s good to see you. Sasuke Uchiha… it’s been a long time.”

Gaara's voice had definitely gotten deeper from the last time they had met. Naruto was sweating bullets. He was terrified that the two might fight or so something _worse_ like kill each other. He had imagined the scenario over and over in his mind and braced for the worst. 

“What do you want?” Sasuke asked rudely.

He did not care to play any kind of game, nor had he forgotten the horrific way in which Gaara had tried to kill him. Naruto squeaked in terror.

“I came to speak with you for two reasons. The first being that I wanted to apologize to you as you since you deserve that much from me. I did try to kill you.”

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. The apology was unexpected. He was still wildly suspicious, but chose to play along to get the Kazekage to let his guard down. 

“Don’t sweat it.”

“Secondly… I was hoping you would join me for dinner, courtesy of the Sand. I wish to speak with you and express my good intentions... alone.”

Naruto blinked. 

_Did he just ask Sasuke out? Without me?_

He stared at his friend with a confused expression. 

_What would they even talk about? What's going on?_

Naruto finally opened his mouth to start questioning everything, but Sasuke beat him to it.

“Sure.”

He wanted to know what the Kazekage's angle was. He stared at him with suspicion despite his positive words.

“We have a reservation for 7 PM at Hamamori.”

Sasuke internally scoffed at the idea that Gaara was taking him to an incredibly upscale location.

_Show off._

"W-Wait a minute! What the hell is happening!?" Naruto blurted. 

"It's just dinner." Sasuke said calmly. 

"You don't think it's weird he doesn't want me there?" 

"I have my reasons. Please trust me on this, Naruto." Gaara said. 

Naruto furrowed his brows. He was still very off put by the whole thing, and yet, his inclination was to trust him. He was the Kazekage, after all, and from what Gaara had told him, he treasured their friendship more than anything. He nodded in Gaara's direction as a silent acknowledgment that he would allow it without protest. Gaara mirrored the motion. As he disappeared into his sand, his gaze shifted toward the Uchiha. There was a sinister look in his eyes. Their stares screamed murderous intentions. Naruto watched the brief interaction in horror. Once Gaara was gone, he looked over to see the scowl plastered over his boyfriend's face. 

_Uhoh._

“What’s his game?” Sasuke asked, clearly irritated.

For some reason, he expected the blonde to know.

“G-Gaara’s just different now… he probably just wants to be nice?”

Naruto hardly believed his own words. Sasuke’s eyes narrowed.

“Doubtful. I feel like he still wants to kill me.” Sasuke said, half-sarcastically.

“HEY. He’s been really good about that stuff too…”

He thought back to Gaara’s murderous state and how terrifying he had been toward Sasuke, calling him his prey and whatnot. He suddenly didn’t blame him for his suspicions.

“I’m going to go home to change… if he comes for me tonight, I swear will-”

“He’s not!! I told you, he’s… probably just wanting to hang out… or something? … he’s just a little off.”

Naruto tried desperately to justify Gaara’s behavior, but he was still racking his brain as to why in the world Gaara would do such a thing.

“I hope you’re right about him.”

Naruto truly did not think that Gaara would do anything rash, but Sasuke had planted a seed of doubt in his mind. What if Gaara really did have different intentions? The look Gaara had given his partner was the only thing his mind kept going to. He hadn’t seen Gaara look at someone like that in a long time. He debated on telling Sasuke that he didn’t want him to go, but knew he was more stubborn than an Ox. Not to mention, he wanted to prevent himself from thinking of Gaara as what his village had once thought of him. He chose to trust him warily.

_Why is Gaara doing this to me?_

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

When Gaara said going out to dinner, Sasuke had not pictured their own private dining room complimentary with at-hand wait staff. It was high class and he could tell the Kazekage was used to it. He had clearly done incredibly well in his position and Suna was flourishing with success. Sasuke felt vaguely intimidated by Gaara’s obvious political and social power, although, he was convinced he could win if they were to physically fight again. The two sat in front of an incredible meal ready to be consumed at any moment, but neither of them felt comfortable enough to eat yet.

“Leave us.” Gaara said plainly.

He signaled the wait staff to close the room off to let them have their privacy. Sasuke shifted uncomfortably before deciding to speak up.

“I’ll be blunt because I don’t like mind games… Why did you invite me to this place?”

Sasuke’s initial anger had subsided. He spoke softer now, but still firm. Gaara's gaze settled on the Uchiha's eyes. 

“Although it is not limited to one reason, I invited you here because I care deeply for Naruto. I know that you claim to care for him as well. My intention is not to take him from you. I only want to ensure his happiness. I chose not to invite him here tonight because I feared he would not allow us to be open with one another.”

Gaara spoke plainly and honestly. Sasuke was taken aback. Flickers of jealousy bounced through his mind. His irritation grew the more he thought about the Kazekage's words. 

“You want to make sure that I’m good enough for him?”

“Yes. I want to be able to believe you won’t break his heart again. As of now, I’m not sure I believe that.” 

“I don’t have to prove anything to you.” Sasuke said bluntly.

“No, you don’t, but I wish that you would. There’s still hatred in your heart. This is what concerns me.” 

Gaara picked at a part of the Uchiha that had yet to begin to heal. Sasuke hated the fact that he was right. There were some things unsettled. A debt unpaid. He had unfinished business outside of Konoha. The thought of leaving Naruto now, however, seemed impossible. He hated that Gaara successfully read him so accurately again like that. He thought back to the first day they met and scoffed. 

“Even if I have another goal in mind, I will never compromise what I have with him to obtain that goal.” Sasuke said seriously.

He paused for a few moments. Since they were just being _open_ about things apparently, he would give it a try. 

“I love him more than myself.”

Gaara's expression relaxed into one of contentment and kindness. Those were the words he had hoped to hear. He could tell the Uchiha was being truthful.

“I believe you.” He paused for a few moments. “Thank you… for coming home to him. He expressed that he missed you desperately.”

“He talked about me to you?” Sasuke asked, suddenly curious.

Gaara’s tone turned to one of sadness.

“Yes. I was there with him as he cried for you once you left.”

The words induced pain and further guilt. Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed upward.

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because I want you to know how much he cared for you and how much he still cares. I want more than anything for him to be happy and I am hopeful that you are able to do that for him.”

Sasuke hung his head for several moments in thought. Something about the way Gaara spoke made him want to believe him. He was still vaguely suspicious, but if Naruto liked him, he supposed Gaara must have at least some merit. He realized he had been awfully rude to the leader of Sunagakure up until that point. 

“Thank you for being there… for still being there for him.”

“Yeah…I owe him a massive debt.”

Gaara looked down at the food on the table. It was the first time he had broken eye contact. Sasuke was almost afraid to ask his next question, but he needed to know. 

“You still love him too, don’t you?” 

Gaara frowned and did not respond for several seconds. He still was not sure what it meant to be romantically in love, but he supposed if he felt that way about anyone, it would be Naruto.

“My feelings for him… are that I want him to be happy at all costs. If that is with you, then so be it.”

Gaara cleverly evaded a direct answer. Sasuke stared at Gaara with pain in his eyes. He did not understand how someone could be so selfless. It was clear that he loved him and yet, he was willing to let him go.

“What would you say if I told you he’s already chosen me?” Sasuke pushed, not believing that Gaara was truly willing to make such a sacrifice.

“I understood he had chosen you years ago. I was married to Suna upon becoming it’s Kazekage and will dedicate my life to serving it and its people.”

Sasuke’s initial intense jealousy toward Gaara had dissipated. Gaara’s selflessness was almost making him uncomfortable. It put a bright spotlight on his own selfishness. He was lost in thought for several seconds. 

“I hold no ill-will against you, Sasuke Uchiha. I wish to celebrate your return and Naruto’s happiness. Drink with me.” Gaara continued.

He poured two cups nearly to the brim with saké and slid one of them in the direction of his guest. Sasuke stared at his cup hesitantly.

“I haven’t poisoned it… As a matter of fact, I picked it especially for this occasion.”

Gaara threw the contents of the cup down his throat. Sasuke scoffed and hesitated for a few moments more. They weren’t old enough to be drinking. It suddenly occurred to him that Gaara had enough power to do essentially whatever he wanted. He could have said what he had to say without the special treatment, but the Kazekage had chosen only the finest things for him. He was dining with a _king_ who wanted only his attention in that moment. He suddenly felt very acknowledged and special. It was, after all, a once in a life-time opportunity. He nodded and picked up his cup to sip the saké. He had tried it a few times in his life, but this type of high-end reserve was something he had never experienced before. It was delicious and bold flavored. Sasuke did not realize he was drinking from a $600 bottle.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Naruto paced back and forth inside his small apartment. Sasuke had left not even 30 minutes ago and had told him to stay home. Staying home was, however, proving to be an increasingly difficult task. His stomach turned as he thought about the two of them fighting in an all-out war in the middle of Konoha. They would surely destroy the village. He bit his nails and scratched his head before finally deciding that he would just go walk by the restaurant to make sure that nothing horrible was happening. It would at least calm part of his anxiety. On his way, he saw Sakura heading home for the night.

“Hey Naruto!... uh… you good?”

He looked pale and was sweating nervously.

“ME!? Uh.. I’m f-fine… just uhm… well how are YOU, Sakura!?”

Naruto tripped over his own words. Sakura stared at him suspiciously.

“Where’s Sasuke?” Sakura immediately asked, hoping that they were okay.

Everything was so fresh between the two that she wondered if they had jumped into things too quickly.

“He…H-he’s at dinner… with Gaara.”

She looked at Naruto with a confused expression.

“…Why?” She asked with a tone of disbelief.

It was a wildly strange thought. Naruto’s expression fell and an obvious pout appeared on his face. 

“They didn’t tell me. Gaara just… showed up and was like 'hey Sasuke go out with me' and Sasuke was like 'grr okay' and they did this really awkward back and forth passive aggressive thing and now I’m afraid they’re going to kill each other because ahh.. umm… Gaara and I have a …. history.” 

She blinked at him as she took in the information. She couldn’t help but smile a little at both how he had imitated both Sasuke and Gaara, but also at his admission. Naruto was quite popular among boys it seemed.

“So… you’re going to go spy on them?”

He jumped with her accusation and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

“No! …well yes… I just wanted to make sure the restaurant was at least still in one piece.”

Sakura thought about it and concluded that just checking on the outside would be fine just to settle Naruto’s nerves.

“Alright, but only the outside. Let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music - Skin by Rihanna
> 
> Link to the Jingasa hat wiki - https://wiki.samurai-archives.com/index.php?title=Jingasa


	43. Questionable Intentions

The first time Sasuke had been drunk, Karin had tried to sneak a move on him, unsuccessfully of course. This time, he was being wined and dined by his boyfriend’s ex-lover. The thought made him smirk. Alcohol did have a way of settling his mind. It allowed him to open up and even _bond_ with the Kazekage. He knew it had this effect and therefore avoided it on most occasions. He used to see it as a strictly social activity, which was something he was not, at least until recently. He was indulging in a plethora of new experiences and he felt more alive from it than he had felt in years. It also allowed him to more empathetically listen to Gaara's story. Hearing it changed his entire perception of him. 

Although at first, he felt thorough compassion for the Kazekage, he realized that his story was, in fact, strikingly similar to Naruto's. He furrowed his brows as impulsive jealousy gripped his thoughts. They had something that he would never share with them. Gaara had at least been cordial enough not to mention any additional activities between the two. Only that he had helped him to find his voice and inspire him to lead. The conversation had turned somewhat serious on his particular topic when Sasuke decided he had enough of hearing about the time his boyfriend spent three days with his ex. 

“What do you think he’s doing right now?” Sasuke asked playfully.

“Definitely panicking.” Gaara replied casually.

Sasuke smirked. 

“How come you didn’t just invite him again?”

“I was worried that in his presence, you may have been less inclined to spend this time with me.”

Gaara looked up at his guest through a half-lidded tipsy gaze.

“You're not flirting? This isn't any kind of date, is it? I mean look at this. Do you eat like this all the time?”

Sasuke’s inhibitions were fading quickly along with his sober mind. His speech edged on slurring and was slow and choppy compared to his usual smooth dialogue. Gaara smiled and cocked his head at Sasuke's bold words. His smile faded and he broke eye contact to say what would not have come out of his sober mouth. 

“Well, I did have a crush on you, or at least, I think that's what it was.”

Gaara recalled how he felt about Sasuke the first time he had seen his face on paper. His high marks and attractive looks had him interested, but what ignited the fire was the look of murderous intent. It really had been a crush, but his aggression toward the things he was attracted to prevented him from ever properly pursuing any kind of bond. 

“You had a _crush_ on me?” He asked in disbelief.

“Yes, although I didn’t know what it meant or what to do with it.”

“You had a really weird way of showing it… Did you try to kill all your crushes?” Sasuke scoffed. 

“Yes, actually. You, among other unfortunate souls, represented something I thought I would never have. My resolve was to destroy it. It was a sad and lonely way to live.”

The words echoed in Sasuke’s drunken mind. He realized he felt incredible respect for the Kazekage based on just their one drawn out conversation. He also realized, that in their own way, they also shared something very unique in common. He stared at the Kazekage as his revelation struck a powerful chord that reverberated through him. He suddenly felt intense and searing empathy for Gaara and thought that maybe he could consider him a friend despite their past. Perhaps even eventually, a close friend. There was just one big problem with that. 

“Does any selfish part of you wish I was still gone so you could have Naruto to yourself?”

“No. He’s happy with you and his happiness is all I care for.” Gaara almost mumbled.

“I get that, I do, but what do _you_ want? What’s _your_ desire?” Sasuke pushed him further.

He was really getting tired of the selflessness. It was almost obnoxious. He didn't know if he wanted Gaara to be selfish to make himself feel better or if he wanted to prove that no one was truly capable of being so _good_. He could tell that it just had not come to the surface yet. He could see the flush of Gaara's cheeks and knew that the answer he suspected was at the tip of the Kazekage's tongue. He squinted, thinking about how he was going to compete with Gaara for Naruto's affection and _win._

“In a perfect world… I suppose I would be with the both of you... and still be there for Suna.”

His response caused Sasuke to blink twice. It was not what he suspected at all. He swallowed and the room was suddenly feeling uncomfortably warm. He struggled to find his words and was grateful that Gaara had more to say. 

“…however, it’s not possible. I have a village and you have each other.” Gaara continued, now somewhat flustered.

The conversation was taking a sharp and unprepared turn. Sasuke sat still for several seconds as he processed the confession. His knee-jerk response was to reject the idea entirely. It was a _ridiculous_ notion, anyway, to date both the Kazekage _and_ the Hokage. However, by doing so, it would arguably make him more powerful than both of them combined. His selfish motivations sparked a rapidly growing fire, fueled purely by impulse. He stared at the red-head across from him and his mind began to go in a direction he had no control over. The not-so-ridiculous notion started to make more sense than it didn't. 

He got up and slowly approached Gaara who was now staring back at him with anxious eyes. He sat close and looked down at Gaara's hand which was resting on his lap. He hesitated a moment before slowly putting his hand on top of Gaara's. Their eyes met again and Sasuke took a breath before speaking. 

“You have a responsibility and that’s fine, but maybe… during your occasional visits… we could…”

Sasuke trailed off as he dared not say the words coming to his mind. He felt inclined to kiss the Kazekage, but did not want to betray Naruto’s trust. Gaara’s eyes grew wide. He struggled to speak for a moment.

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying we need to speak with Naruto.”

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sakura stood with her hands on her hips and one eyebrow raised on the main pathway as Naruto hid in the nearby bushes, trying to see the restaurant without being seen. It was a pathetically comedic display. She rolled her eyes.

“Okay, nothing is destroyed. Why are you in the bushes?”

“SHHH! They’re gonna hear me!” He whispered loudly.

“You’re being a dumbass, come on, let’s just go home. They’re fine!”

Sakura was tired and eager to get to bed. She was also curious as to why Gaara and Sasuke of all people had gone out together. The answer was not nearly pressing enough to her to find out that night and could easily wait until morning.

“I—uh… I’m gonna wait for Sasuke…” He said sheepishly.

“Okay, but you know a bush isn’t going to keep _those_ two from realizing you’re here, right?”

Naruto slowly rose, covered in leaves with a look of absolute defeat across his face. Sakura smiled at him and then heard voices coming from the restaurant.

“Well, that’s my queue to leave. 'Night!”

She disappeared almost instantly to avoid any confrontation induced from the bizarre love triangle happening before her.

As Naruto turned his head, he saw Sasuke and Gaara approaching slowly, walking side by side as they spoke. They were staring into each other’s eyes when Sasuke almost tripped followed by laughter from both of them. Naruto squinted at them.

_Are they drunk?_

“NARUTO!” Sasuke suddenly yelled causing the blonde to jump out of his skin.

Even in his drunken state, he sensed Naruto’s chakra nearby almost immediately.

“I see you there! Comm’ere. We have to talk to you.” Sasuke slurred. 

He was significantly more intoxicated than Gaara, who drank regularly. It was essentially part of the job description as Kazekage to drink with other powerful leaders and to properly hold his liquor. Naruto cautiously emerged from the bushes much to his boyfriend's obvious and delighted amusement. They approached each other and Sasuke left Gaara’s side to embrace Naruto and kiss him on the cheek. It was the first time Sasuke had kissed him in public. Not to mention, in front of Gaara. He felt his face flush red and then he smelled it. Sasuke's breath wreaked of saké. 

_Huh. He really did get him drunk. This is gonna be interesting._

He shot Gaara a perplexed look, knowing that questioning Sasuke would not get him very far from the looks of it.

“Did you guys uh… drink?” Naruto asked Gaara with a half smile on his face.

Sasuke was busy picking leaves out of Naruto’s hair.

“Yeah. Sorry to bring him back like this.”

“Don’t apologize!” Sasuke snapped.

He flipped his head around at Gaara for taking credit for his drunkenness. Gaara was taken aback by his sudden and loud command. 

“I was the one who drank.” He said with an obvious slur. 

It was clear he was unpredictable at this point. He walked up to Gaara and whispered something into his ear as Naruto watched with growing confusion. Gaara’s face blatantly demonstrated that Sasuke was not saying anything innocent. Naruto’s brows furrowed.

“What’s going on?” He asked with slight irritation.

They were suddenly buddies and leaving him out of things. He felt his jealousy spark, but the reason why confused him. It was not so much that Sasuke was saying apparently dirty things to Gaara, it was just that he was left out of it. His desperate curiosity upset him more than anything. Sasuke finished whatever thing that just _had_ to be a secret and grabbed Gaara's hand. He pulled him over to an even more confused and increasingly jealous Naruto. Sasuke put his hands on either side of Naruto’s face and softly kissed him.

Even with the taste of the alcohol, Naruto still melted into the kiss. As confused as he was, and whatever game Sasuke was playing, it was acceptable at least for that moment. The confusion came back full force when he pulled away and pushed Gaara to be in front of him instead. He put his hand on Naruto's arm and looked him in the face. 

“I know you want to kiss him too.”

Sasuke suddenly sounded more present, although, he was still no where near his normal self. 

“S-Sasuke! W-what…”

“It’s what I want… for you both.”

Naruto stared at him wide-eyed. 

“Y-You can’t be s-serious. Y-you’re drunk!”

This was a fantasy Naruto had explored once or twice but never imagined it could happen. Sasuke smirked at him.

“I’m not! What if I kissed him first?”

The question caused both Naruto and Gaara feel even more heat in their faces. The thought of Sasuke and Gaara kissing made him feel funny. His stomach felt warm and the feeling began to travel downward.

"Sasuke... I don't feel like you would do this sober." Naruto tried to argue. 

"Maybe not, but the fact that you use that as an excuse not to because you can't think of one says something. I'm telling you, I want this for us... all of us. I wasn't drunk when I decided that's what I wanted. I got drunk so it would be more fun to do it. Please?" 

Naruto could not say no his big midnight eyes. It finally occurred to him that Gaara had been quiet through the entire thing. 

_What got this in his head in the first place?_

"That's... Uh... ahem ...f-fine with me... Gaara? Are you okay with this?” He asked, still baffled.

To his surprise, Gaara was smirking at him. 

_So it was your idea._

"Yeah, I am." He replied with a wink. 

Naruto was suddenly impressed. Gaara arrived no less than 8 hours ago and already managed to convince Sasuke to open up to participating in one of his most devious fantasies. He needed to see it come to fruition.

Sasuke’s face lit up with excitement. He kissed Naruto once more before stepping back to face the Kazekage. 

Gaara shot Naruto a nervous glance who nodded in reassurance. He watched expectantly as Sasuke bent down and slowly closed the distance between their lips. He thought he might melt as his dormant crush on Sasuke erupted once again. In a moment, it was over. 

Naruto watched as his only two male partners shared a deep and passionate kiss. Something about it was an incredible turn on. 

“See? Now you.” Sasuke said expectantly.

He smiled and lifted a finger to Naruto's jaw to close it from being agape. Naruto grinned out of embarrassment and shifted his gaze to the Kazekage. They were both desperate to touch again. Sasuke helped by pushing them by their backs until they were face to face. Naruto turned to his boyfriend. 

"You're really okay with all of this?"

"Yes. I promise."

To him, it was the start of yet, another new chapter. He watched as the love of his life turned back to the shorter red-head and leaned in slowly. They shared their long-awaited kiss. It was slow, and romantic. The small twinge of remaining jealousy was quickly silenced by bold and pure empathy for his partner. It was an incredibly beautiful feeling.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The three headed back to the inn Gaara was staying. At first, Sasuke had dissented, thinking that it would be poor for the Kazekage’s reputation. Gaara couldn’t help but smile at the Uchiha's obsession with image. The Hidden Sand saw having multiple partners as a sign of power and status. Walking into his residence on vacation with two tall and handsome Konoha shinobi would be about as appropriate as it got for someone in his position. Temari knew this was typical of powerful people from her village but seeing her _little brother_ walk through the front doors with his arms interlinked with two very attractive men simply shocked her. She recognized Naruto immediately - that much had not been surprising. It was the realization that the other man was Sasuke Uchiha that boggled her mind. At this point, he was infamous.

The three entered the 2-bedroom suite, fit only for Konoha’s most honored guests. Gaara led them into the large bedroom on the left containing a massive bed decorated with soft white linens. He closed the door behind him and locked it. Naruto inspected the room with awe. It was beautiful and he had never seen anything like it in person. As he was marveling over various aspects, Sasuke shot Gaara a look followed by another glance back at Naruto. Gaara understood and they both silently approached him from behind.

“Guys! The lights turn on if I just _touch_ them!” He exclaimed.

He poked the flat surface where the switch normally was while the light turned off and on. He suddenly felt warmth on the nape of his neck. Sasuke was behind him and was kissing and licking the sensitive area of skin. He instinctively closed his eyes and gave into to the wonderful sensation. He opened his eyes to see Gaara unzipping his jacket. Once his collar bone was exposed, Gaara, too began to kiss and suck only in the most sensitive places.

Naruto was almost instantly in a pleasure filled daze. His eyes rolled back as he felt Sasuke grind against him from behind while Gaara did in front.

The sound of sifting sand caused Sasuke to stop and look. He tensed as he noticed one of the gourds in the corner had opened and the sand inside was coming their way, but it was not Gaara’s usual sand.

“Wha…?” Sasuke started.

“It’s okay. Just watch.” Naruto said, knowing what Gaara was about to do.

“Touch it.” Gaara said.

Sasuke hesitantly held out his hand the incredibly fine sand slipped through his fingers and the palm of his hand. It was soft like the silkiest of skin _._ It had been compressed under incredible pressure repeatedly until it compared with the texture of velvet. It began to move across Sasuke’s neck and chest and applied pressure in all the right places. For a very fleeting moment and in a repressed impulse, Gaara thought about how he could have killed him in that moment. Naruto could tell he was enjoying himself by the increased pressure against his body.

Gaara suddenly pushed against Naruto which caused Sasuke to also stagger backward. He began to remove his clothing. The other two caught on and began stripping until all three were just in their skin. The silt traveled along each of their bodies inducing all new pleasures for Sasuke. He couldn’t help but groan before it teasingly let go.

“Naruto… lay down.” Gaara spoke almost timidly.

“Huh?? W-why?” Naruto was nervous. He knew exactly why, but his instinct was to protest.

“Why do you think, dumbass?”

Sasuke teasingly pushed him by the hips until he landed on the bed. Naruto watched as Sasuke began to kiss and trail along his torso. He turned a proper shade of red by the time Sasuke’s tongue had met the tip of his cock. Naruto whimpered and resisted the urge to buck his hips.

“Don’t make him cum yet.” Gaara said as he climbed on top of the bed next to Naruto and began kissing him.

He knew Naruto wouldn’t last long if Sasuke was doing that. He still had activities planned. Sasuke was surprised at Gaara’s blunt request and stopped sucking after only about 30 seconds. He slowly began to play with Naruto’s entrance causing him to shiver and moan into Gaara’s mouth. Once he was ready, Sasuke positioned himself in an upright position and began to push himself inside his partner causing Naruto to break his kiss with Gaara to throw his head back and let out a desperate groan.

Gaara sat up and kissed Sasuke passionately as he began to move inside Naruto. He climbed on top of the blonde so that his back was arched against Sasuke’s torso. He carefully positioned himself and slowly pushed Naruto inside which caused him to let out a gasping moan. They moved in slow unison at first before settling into a steady rocking rhythm. All three groaned from the intensely hot pleasure radiating from their bodies. Naruto couldn’t hold on any longer. It was too much. He saw white and lost control of his body as he had an intensely life-changing orgasm. A spike of demonic chakra rushed through Gaara and Sasuke causing a vague burning sensation. The feeling sent Gaara over the edge as he swung his head back against Sasuke’s shoulder with his eyes closed and mouth open. It did not take long for Sasuke to follow suit. They sat lifeless for a few moments before they willed themselves to move. After cleaning up, the three laid together in the massive bed with Naruto in the middle. He could not believe his wildest fantasy had just played out before his eyes. They laughed, cuddled, and spoke about their lives before eventually falling asleep entangled in each others limbs.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

It was several minutes before sunrise. Sasuke awoke before the other two and dressed himself silently in the cool dark room. The next morning felt much more embarrassing than the night of. He blushed thinking about their activities. Then again, he just had an interesting night with his boyfriend and the _Kazekage_. In a strange way, he felt a sense of pride accompanied by cringe inducing memories of his drunk self coming on to Gaara.

He pondered how something like this so easily came about. It seemed so out of nowhere. The thought finally occurred to him that it was possible that Gaara had planned this and manipulated the situation to make last night happen. Dining with him alone, getting him drunk, being incredibly generous and open… was it all to get to Naruto? He looked back at the two to see them still wrapped up in each other’s arms as they slept peacefully. He stared for several long seconds as dark thoughts began to swirl in his mind.

Gaara told him yesterday that he still saw hatred in his heart. It was true. He hated Danzou and he hated Koharu and Homura. The thought of them still roaming freely aggravated him to no end. He desperately wanted them dead. It was beginning to gnaw at him to the point where his nightmares had returned and had woken him in a cold sweat. This time he had not been the subject of such nightmares. It had been his brother, suffering for Konoha with his mouth stapled shut and his limbs bound so he could not speak or move. Something needed to be done for Itachi… which might also mean leaving Konoha again for quite a long time.

He was incredibly conflicted. He wanted to take Naruto with him but that would rip him from all that he called home. The journey would also be dangerous. If something were to happen to Naruto for something he needed to accomplish, then he really would never be able to forgive himself. He wanted to stay but the heavy pain of Itachi’s death still weighed prominently on his heart and demanded some kind of justice and fast. The people responsible for his pain and his brother’s pain were still out in the world living their lives, plotting their revenge. Why shouldn't he? He could not bear it. He shed a tear thinking that even if he left again, Naruto would still be loved. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music - Bizarre Love Triangle by Echosmith  
> All The Same by Sick Puppies
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read! I know this story is a mess, but for some reason, I needed to write it. I left plenty of room for a sequel, but I think I need a break from thinking about Sasuke Uchiha. Sorry guys.

**Author's Note:**

> If you really want more of this story following chapter 41, go here:
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/26763616/chapters/65289181


End file.
